These Bonds We Share
by Elfsong
Summary: The eight Weiss members have settled in with each other. Now an old enemy comes for Ran. At the same time, Ran is 'youthenizing' due to an accident on a mission. Sequel to 'Family Secrets'. New Chapter UP!
1. Flashback Prologue

Disclaimer: They're mine! All mine! *see Elfsong in a room full of angry lawyers and an angrier Koyasu Takehito* … In my dreams… T_T

Author's Notes: Well, it's taken me awhile, but I'm finally writing again! School's cruel. This is the sequel for 'Family Secrets', so for those of you who have not read it, I may have references to that fic. I may not. My muses and my fingers conspire together while my brain is out of commission, and then when I start typing, things come out that I wasn't planning on. Just as a recap (for those of you who plan to read 'Family Secrets', this **will** spoil it for you) Schuldich and Manx are Ran's older half-siblings. Weiss and Schwarz live together as Weiss, and at the end of FS Ken and Ran got together. I hope you enjoy this story as much as you did the last one! One other note, I plan on bringing Crashers into this story, but since I know next to nothing about them, they will more than likely be insanely out of character, and their job in missions will be off. I have no idea what they do or how they do it. Only that they are the 'non-lethal' agents of Kritiker. And even that may not be true.

"Is everything all right, Rook?" The redheaded teenager heard over the COM system.

"Hai. Have you found the guy?"

"Queen's got him; don't worry about it. You and Pawn get back to the house now, okay?"

After the redhead voiced his agreement, he and his teammate headed back to the house they were staying at with the rest of their team. Their mission had been to apprehend a man. The police were to take over from there.

The two teens didn't know what the man had been accused of, or why they were the ones sent to get the job done. During the mission debriefing, the younger had been tying knots in one of Queen's favorite jackets, and the redhead had been distracted by it.

"Why don't you go on ahead, Pawn? I want to get a look at that guy." The younger teen looked torn for a moment, but, seeing no harm in letting his teammate have his way, nodded. The older boy watched him walk away before heading back to the area Queen had been assigned to.

Just as he was about to turn the corner to get to Queen's hiding space, a huge man ran around from the other side, crashing into the slim boy. Queen was on his heals, and both noticed her eyes widening when she saw whom the man had run into. The man smiled evilly and wrapped his hand around the boy's throat.

"Back off, Lady. Unless of course you want this kid hurt."

"RAN!" she screamed, before even pausing to consider what that could lead to.

"Orchid, huh?" The man lowered his face to Ran's, and was about to kiss him when his head shot back up and he let out a howl of pain. Ran aimed another kick at the man and connected with his groin, causing the man to yell again and release his hold.

As soon as he was dropped Ran felt himself being gathered into another, gentler, pair of arms. He looked up into the face of the man codenamed Bishop. "I thought I told you to go home," the man stated, looking slightly disappointed and more than a little relieved.

"Gomen, but I **had** to see what was going on!"

"We'll discuss this later," Queen promised, holding the man hostage once again. Ran nodded mutely, too ashamed to say anything. Bishop was the only one who noticed the man's sinister sneer.

In a dark alley, a man crouched over an old, tattered, cardboard box. He was rummaging through the pictures, mumbling curses under his breath. He looked up as a car drove past, headlights illuminating dark, malicious eyes and an evil smirk. The full moon made it hard to see the object he had taken from the box beyond that it was a square shaped piece of paper.

The man took hold of the box and headed out into the street, fully illuminating the small paper he held. In his hand was a picture of a young man, no more than eighteen at the most, with bright red hair and clear amethyst eyes.

As he wandered down the street, he began to hum a tune. As the sound trailed off, he looked at the picture again and grinned. "I still remember you. I'll get you back, Little Orchid. You'll pay for putting me in prison."

A/N: So, what did you think? If I get it done tonight, I'll try and post another chapter soon! Sorry it took so long, but I've had homework EVERY SINGLE DAY since school started again! Being a junior sucks! Oh, if anyone knows Queen's real name, or any info on Crashers, please let me know! It could help this story move along quicker! And yes, that **was** bribery, but it was also incentive! Please review!


	2. Lab Spill

"Balinese, I see the target."

"Where is he?"

"Coming towards you. He should be there in a few seconds." The whispered conversation fell short as both men held their breaths. They were in a science lab, and their target was a scientist known for chemical and biological experiments. Both men had had to stay cautious during their time on the mission because their target was known for staying inside the lab once the other scientists had left the building.

Neither felt very comfortable around all the chemicals, considering how many missions in labs they had been on where the chemicals altered their minds or bodies in some way. However, they had been the ones chosen for the mission, and they were not about to let a little nervousness screw it up. Unfortunately, Yohji also had a few other things on his mind. Namely his partner's safety. The redhead didn't know it, but every time he went on a mission, the person(s) going with him were subjected to two lectures on keeping him safe. One lecture came from the redhead's older brother, and the other came from his boyfriend.

Before Yohji could think further on that train, he heard the footsteps signaling the approach of the target. Before the man had a chance to think, the blond man's wire was wrapped around his neck. During his struggle for life, the scientist knocked over a large container, spilling greenish liquid all over the man codenamed Abyssinian.

As the man died, Yohji and Ran locked eyes, and Ran groaned. "Wonder what'll happen this time," he said resignedly, making a face as he wiped a glob of goo out of his face.

"How do you feel right now?" Yohji asked, concerned not only for himself. The redhead had actually had an allergic reaction to one of the chemicals spilt on him once, and had spent the next two months in ICU.

"I don't feel different at all. Maybe a little more energetic, but that could just be post-mission adrenaline."

"You don't fell fuzzy, dizzy, furry, or smaller?"

"No," Ran stated, smiling. He remembered each of the incidents Yohji was alluding to. Over the years, Omi had been turned into a mouse, Ken into a cat, Yohji had shrunk, and Ran himself had experienced nasty fainting spells. And those were the ones that had been cured quickly. Farfarello's fingertips were still slightly orange at the tips from a dye that he had fallen into a few months back.

The two men chuckled at the different problems that had arisen from each of the different experiments, including when Crawford thought he had gotten pregnant. They headed back to the Koneko in high spirits. Ran decided not to mention that he was filled with more energy with each moment that passed.

"RAN! What happened? You're soaked!" Schuldich cried, wiping the gooey liquid off of his younger brother.

"I'm fine, Schu. I got a chemical spilt on me during the mission is all."

"Do you feel okay? No dizziness? Fuzziness? Furriness?"

"I'm fine Ken, I just need to get a shower, that's all. Don't worry about it!" That said, Ran bounded up the stairs, oblivious to the shocked expressions on the other three's faces. Ran never bounded anywhere. He preferred to move at a more graceful, slower pace.

"Yohji, you didn't give him sugar did you?" Ken asked, gesturing in the direction his boyfriend had gone.

"No. After the mission he just had a little excess adrenaline. He _bounced_ the entire way home."

"Sounds like one of the kids I coach," Ken murmured softly. "That kid is always hyper. I wonder what got Ran so full of energy, though?"

"Maybe getting that chemical poured on him was a good thing?" Schuldich suggested. The other two gave him blank stares. "What? It's possible!"

"Name one time that lab spill has had _good_ consequences."

"… Uh…"

"I thought so."

A/N: Hate to end it there, but I'm tired, so I'm going to close up. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think! And to let you know, one of the things I've noticed about kids is that they seem to have ENDLESS energy! So, I thought that I'd… add to Ran's energy levels!

Knight: That was my idea!

Elfsong: And what a wonderful idea it was! Allow me to introduce my muses! This is Knight from Crashers…

Knight: Hey!

Elf: And Ran and Schu. You know where they're from. They decided to come and make sure I stayed in the same storyline as I had in 'Family Ties'.

Ran and Schu: Hi…

Elf: Please review! I'll update on the next day that I finish my homework early enough!


	3. Chemical Reaction

A/N: Well, I finished my homework, and I wrote three pages earlier, but due to stupidity and past experience, I didn't save what I had written. Then someone came in and clicked the 'X' for the file… and I lost all three pages. So, sorry if the first part of this chapter sucks. I'm trying to rewrite what I lost. Also, thanks to my two reviewers! 

"Spoken"

'Thoughts'

****

Telepathy

__

/// Flashback ///

"Farfarello! Bring that back!"

Brad winced as Omi screeched in his ear. It was breakfast time the morning after Ran and Yohji's mission, and Omi, Brad, and Farfarello were the first ones to the kitchen. Omi had been using the blender when Farf grabbed it and ran to the refrigerator. He was currently sitting on top of the fridge, stabbing the bananas Omi had put inside the blender.

"Omi, don't yell," Brad admonished, regaining his hearing.

"Why no—Brad? What's wrong?" Omi asked, seeing Brad's glazed eyes and blank face. "Are you getting a premonition?" When he received no response, Omi nodded and returned his attention to the Irishman holding the blender.

"Farfarello! Give that back, now!"

"Why?" The yellow-eyed man asked, cradling the blender lovingly in his lap. "It likes me!"

"How can it like you?" Omi demanded. "You stuck a lizard in there last week!"

"It likes lizards!" Neither bothered to comment on the fact that they were having an argument on the likes and dislikes on an inanimate object. Both had begun to enjoy the argument, strange as it was.

"How can it like lizards? They're scaly, and the blood is hard to clean off!"

"Who says Sakki likes to be clean?"

"Who the *#$% is Sakki?!"

"Sakkidatta [1] is the blender!"

"You named a blender?" Omi asked quietly.

"You named your spoon a few months ago," Farf reminded him. Omi's face scrunched up in a pout.

"That's beside the point!"

"Would you two please stop!" Brad yelled at them, not needing his gift to see another round of the argument coming.

"Brad! You're out of your vision!"

"It stopped around the time you were talking about lizards." Omi blushed, and asked what Brad's vision had been about. Before Brad could answer, Ran stumbled into the room, eyes bleary and still in his pajamas. The others could only stare at him for a few minutes.

"What?" Ran grumbled, confused as to why he had found it so hard to wake up in the morning. He hadn't had trouble waking up in over a year.

"You look… for lack of a better word, good. I mean you look like you just gained a year of your life back or something."

"You do look very good, Ran!" Brad agreed, standing next to the redhead and gripping his pajama top. [2]

"Uhn… Ohayoo, Brad… "

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Tired… " Ran looked up and saw Farfarello sitting on top of the fridge, holding their blender. He blinked. Farfarello blinked. He nodded and headed to the cupboard. Before he could reach it, though, a blender landed on the counter lightly. He turned back around and saw Nagi glaring at the Irishman.

"You're next," Nagi promised the white-haired man. Farfarello grinned and jumped down.

"I got it!" Ken exclaimed, staring intently at Nagi.

"Got what?" Brad asked, worried that his visions weren't showing him anything about this situation.

"Who you guys look like now! You look like Gundam Wing AC!" Everyone stared at Ken blankly, who blushed and ducked his head. "Think about it! Brad looks like that Treize guy, Nagi looks like Trowa, or Triton, or No-Name, or whatever he's called! Oh, and Omi's begun to look like the girly one. What was his name again? Oh yeah! Quatre!"

"When did you get in here?" Omi asked, upset that he reminded his friend of the girly one.

"I followed Nagi in."

"Ah- Ran-kun? Where are you going?"

"Hn."

"You know," Nagi said quietly, "I thought he had finally been broken of that habit." Ken glared at him and stuck his tongue out. Nagi rolled his eyes.

"RAN! Letter for you!" Yohji yelled up the stairs. He set the envelope on the counter and turned his attention to the rest of the mail. "Bill, bill, bill, junk, junk, magazine, newspaper, bill, add for dating service, junk, letter for Brad, doctor reminder for Farf's medication, junk, and that's it!" Yohji looked up from his commentary on the mail and saw Ran staring at the letter he had received, trembling. "Ran? You okay?"

Ran looked up, violet eyes wide with fear. He shook his head violently. "Yohji, I- I can't read this. I can't open it!"

"It can't be that hard," Yohji said, taking the letter from Ran's hand and starting to rip it open.

"NO!" Yohji stopped at Ran's command. It was rare that he gave orders outside of missions (especially now that he knew he had family again), so the others had learned that he usually had a very good reason for it if he did.

"Why not, Ran?"

"I just… I don't know, I've just got a bad feeling about that letter." Ran took the envelope back from Yohji's hand and headed up the stairs. Yohji, following his instincts – which said to find out what was in that envelope – followed him up.

"I don't see what the problem is," Schuldich informed the others. "It's his choice as to whether or not he wants to open that envelope."

"Yeah, but if it's bothering him, he should tell us and let us help!" Yohji argued. Brad nodded his agreement.

"Are you about done talking about me behind my back?" Ran inquired angrily.

The five men faced their leader guiltily. Yohji had told Brad what had happened, and they decided that they should ask Schuldich what to do, since he knew Ran better than anyone. While they were talking, Omi and Nagi had walked past and offered their views on the subject. After a few minutes, they had gotten in a deep discussion, Schuldich saying that it was his choice, and the others arguing that Ran needed help but was too stubborn to get it.

"No offense, Babe, but maybe you should open it?" Ken suggested, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. Ran turned in the embrace and glared at Ken.

"Now you think I can't handle it myself?"

"That's not it at all! It's obviously bothering you, though, and I hate that I can't help." Ran raised an eyebrow at his comment, but let Ken continue. "Until you ask for help, and show us that letter, we can't help. It's not a matter of you being able to handle it or not, it's our need to feel like you can count on us. If you can't come to us with something like this, why would you come to us with something even more important?" Ran leaned his head against the brunette and sighed.

"Fine, I'll go get the letter," Ran consented. He pulled himself from the ex-soccer player's strong arms and headed to his bedroom.

"That was amazing, Kenken," Yohji breathed in awe.

"What was?"

"The way you convinced him. It didn't involve arguing or him getting mad!"

Ken shook his head and sat in one of the armchairs. When Ran returned he was pulled into the brunette's lap. Ken hugged him tightly and pressed a kiss to his temple to reassure him that they wouldn't leave him.

"Dear Orchid… " Ran trailed off, paling to a chalk white.

"Ran? Babe, what's wrong?" Ken queried, worried about his boyfriend.

"That's what he called me," Ran whispered so softly the others had to strain to hear.

"What who called you?"

"Him."

****

Ran, I'm going into your head to get it out, okay?

Schu? I- Why is this bothering me so much? Schuldich winced. Even Ran's mental voice was quaking with fear.

****

That's what I want to find out. Can I come in?

Hai.

__

/// "Ran? Come on, talk to us! Get out of it, Rannie!"

The teenager was trembling violently, unable to get the man from his mind. The five people surrounding him stared down at him, worry filling their features.

"What happened?" The smallest one asked.

"The target caught him."

"How did he get ahold of him?" The blond-ish one demanded.

"He slipped out of my grasp and ran into him. He had Ran by the neck!" the woman shuddered.

"He was almost catatonic by the time I got him home," the oldest man informed them. "I told you to go home! Why didn't you listen?" he whispered. ///

"Apparently it was some guy from a mission, only his team had a woman and two men who were older than him," commented.

"Crashers." Everyone turned to look at Omi. "That was his team before he joined Weiss. One of the members was female, and only one member was younger than Ran."

They all turned their attention back to Ran, who was holding the letter and shaking violently. "He's coming back! He- he wants revenge."

Was that a cliffhanger? I don't know, I'm not good at them. Here's the second chapter! I hope I made it long enough this time. The chapters for this story just seem to want to be shorter than the ones in FS. Ah well. Please review!

[1] – Japanese for Bloodthirsty

[2] – For all who have seen Fruits Basket, picture the scene in DVD three where Haru is holding Yuki's shirt when they're all at the school. You know, before he proved his natural hair color! *snicker snicker* 


	4. Friends Return

A/N: Thanks to Lady Jam, Kyra2, Mick, and Anime the Fallen Angel for the reviews! It's really sweet that you reviewed so quickly! And I'm glad you liked the story so far. Oh yeah, and as he gets younger, his hairstyle changes to match the age. And, since I believe I forgot to say this in the first chapter, all of the characters but Farfarello are in their Glühen forms.

"Spoken"

'Thoughts'

****

Telepathy

"Ran? Babe, why does this guy scare you so much?"

"I don't know," Ran whimpered. "He just does." He sniffled and leaned back against Ken. Ken wrapped his arms around the distraught redhead and rocked him.

"You going to be okay, Rannie?" Schuldich asked, worried about his brother. Ran looked up at him and nodded.

"I'll be fine. I think I'm going to bed now, though." That said, Ran disentangled himself from Ken's grip and headed to his bedroom.

"He's going to bed? This early?" Yohji questioned. Schuldich grinned at him.

"It's almost midnight, Yohji."

"How'd it get so late so quickly?"

"We spent a few hours talking before Ran came in, and then another hour or so while he told us what was bothering him.

"In that case, I guess it's not so early… " Yohji trailed off, staring at the couch where Omi and Nagi had settled themselves. "Apparently we wore out the chibis." The others looked over and saw both of the computer experts curled up at opposite ends of the couch.

"I'll take Nagi, why don't you get Omi?" Schuldich suggested. Yohji nodded and picked Omi up. After saying his goodnights he headed to Omi's room to drop off the 'chibi' before heading to his own room. After the others left, Ken picked up the letter Ran had dropped and read over it. After reading through four or five times he stood, stretched, and headed to his own room, turning off the lights on the way.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The entire house was awoken by the terrified shriek coming from Ran's room. All seven of the assassins rushed to his room and found him standing in front of his mirror, a horrified look on his face. His hair barely covered his ears and was a few shades lighter than it usually was.

He turned to face them, and they noticed a few other changes. His eyes were wider, almost as if he had regained his innocence (like before the accident, not like that!), and his face was more rounded.

"Aww! My little brother is so kawaii!"

"How can _this_ be kawaii, Schuldich? I haven't looked like this since I was eighteen!" Ran suddenly stopped, a look of horror growing on his face.

"Ran?" Ken questioned, very worried about his boyfriend.

"I think I know what that chemical did," he informed them. "It's… making me younger."

"WHAT?" Ken yelled in disbelief. Ran faced him and glared.

"What makes you think that?" Brad asked, very calm for a man who just learned that his already 6-years-younger crush was getting even younger.

"How else can you explain it? I was feeling more energetic after the mission, then yesterday I felt different, and reading that letter shouldn't have affected me so much!"

"Sorry, Babe, but you lost me on that one. What does your reaction to a letter have to do with getting younger?" Ken asked.

"Hearing about him hasn't affected me for awhile."

"And 'awhile' would be…?" Yohji asked.

"Since he got over the shock," a new voice answered from behind them. Before they had a chance to turn around, they saw Ran's face light up.

"Yuushi! Where'd you come from?" Ran exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the taller man.

"See! I told you he wouldn't have forgotten us!" A smaller man squeezed his way into the room, getting his own hug from the redheaded leader of Weiss. "You didn't forget us, did you?"

"Not at all. Is that even possible? You guys were my first team."

"Um… I hate to break up the reunion, but could you please introduce us?' Ken asked, trying to control both his patience and his temper. Before Ran could say anything, however, Schuldich snapped his fingers and pointed in the air.

"Now I know where I've seen you guys before! Brad and Ran's heads!" The five members of Crashers, and Ran, looked at Schuldich as if he were crazy.

"You saw it in our heads?" Ran asked. Crashers voiced their agreement. "_Why_ would they be in Brad's mind?"

"Um… Ran? Don't you think it's strange that he claims to have been in your heads at all?"

"He's a telepath. Now please, Schu, explain."

"I don't know why Brad had them in his head, he just did."

"I had a vision around this time yesterday. They were there. I was thinking about them most of yesterday and trying to figure out what purpose they had being here," Brad explained.

"And what are you supposed to be?" a dark-haired man asked, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm a-"

"He can see the future, the dark-haired boy over there is telekinetic, and the white-haired man is unable to feel pain," Ran interrupted, not needing precognitive abilities to see a fight brewing. "And while I'm at it, this is Queen, she's like a live-in Manx for Crashers. The blond is Honjou Yuushi, the one with glasses is Shirasagi Reiichi, the young-looking one is Uhyou Naru, and the last one is Tanuma Masato. They make up Crashers.

"These are my new team, Weiss. The original members are Hidaka Ken, Kudou Yohji, and Tsukiyono Omi. Ken's the taller brunette, Yohji is the tall blond, and Omi is the one with blue eyes. The new members are Crawford Brad, Kitada Schuldich, Farfarello Jei, and Naoe Nagi. Brad's the American, Schu's the redhead, Farf's the white-haired one, and Nagi's the telekinetic."

Everyone in the room paused for a moment, each unused to hearing Ran speak for such a large amount of time. Also, no one had missed his slight blush when he had said Ken's name. Crashers recognized it as a habit he was growing out of when he was with them. Whenever someone he liked was around, he would blush when speaking to or of them. Weiss, however, did not have that luxury. That knew he had blushed, but they had no idea that it was a habit from when he was younger. Then Farf remembered the new team's entrance.

"What shock?" he asked. The others all just stared at him.

"What do you mean?" Masato asked.

"When you came in, you said he hadn't reacted like that since he got over the shock. What shock?"

"Oh, that man grabbed and almost molested him during a mission, and he went into shock for a few days," Reiichi explained, keeping a close eye out for Ran's reaction the entire time.

"So that's what I saw! Ran, you never said anything before about ever going into shock!" Schuldich accused, slinging an arm across his brother's shoulders.

"It's happened more than once," Ran said, gaining the attention of all twelve people in the room. Seeing their looks, Ran's eyes widened slightly. "What? The other time was when my parents… well my mom and stepfather died and Aya went into the coma." Schuldich shook his head and tightened his grip around the younger man.

"I'm sorry, but would you people mind explaining something?" Naru asked. He waited until he had the attention of everyone else in the room before continuing. "For one thing, I thought Aya was dead. Second, why does… Schuldich right? Yeah, why does Schuldich have his arm around Ran when… "

"When Ran obviously is in love with someone else?" Schuldich suggested. Naru nodded.

"Aya is dead, but she was in a coma for a week before she died. I went into shock at that time. For your second question, Schu's my older brother."

"But I thought you were the oldest," Yuushi commented, confused.

"I thought I was too, but after Schwarz became part of Weiss we found out that I actually have two older half-siblings."

"Two?"

"Manx is Schu's older sister."

"That had to be a shock for all of you. Isn't Manx the one that got you into Kritiker in the first place?"

"Yes, but she didn't even remember me."

"How is that possible?"

"We were little when Ran was born, and we only really knew him for about an hour after he was born. Kids tend to forget things pretty quickly, and when his mom didn't show up again, we just sort of… forgot," Schuldich explained. There was a round of nodding, some to emphasize his point, and others to show understanding.

"So, we never asked, but what made you guys decide to visit Ran all of a sudden?" Nagi questioned, working on his social skills.

"Actually, we started getting notes concerning Ran, and decided we had better come over here to at least inform you on what was going on so you could protect him," Queen answered.

"Thanks. Do you have any idea how long you'll be here?"

"Here as in this apartment, or here as in this area of the city?"

"Both, actually."

"Here this city until that man is thrown back in jail or killed, whichever comes first. Here this apartment until you kick us out."

"Where will you stay tonight?" Omi asked. He was worried about all of them, and, being who he was, couldn't stand the thought that they would not have a place to stay.

"Oh, well there's a hotel a few blocks over. We could rent a few rooms and stay there," Reiichi responded.

"Or we could all bunk together and let you stay in some of our rooms for a little while," Yohji suggested.

The eleven men and Queen were in the upstairs living room, discussing life and getting to know each other. With all he new people, there was no chance for Ran and Ken to try and hide their relationship. Especially if neither wanted the floor. When they had entered the living room and seen the arrangement of furniture, Weiss had allowed Crashers to choose where they were sitting first.

Queen was in one of the armchair, and Masato, Yuushi, and Naru were sharing the couch. Reiichi was sitting on one side of one of the loveseats, and Brad had taken the other side. Farfarello was sitting on the arm of the loveseat at Brad's elbow. Yohji and Schuldich had taken the other loveseat, and Omi and Nagi had taken up positions on the floor. That left the other armchair for either Ken or Ran. Ken had sat in the chair and pulled Ran onto his lap.

After the discussion had gone on for an hour or two, Omi, Naru, and Nagi went downstairs to fix drinks for everyone. Even with the heater on, February was a cold month. When they got back upstairs with the drinks, they saw most of the older people still talking, but sometime during the discussion, Ran had leaned further against Ken and had fallen asleep. The rejuvenating redhead was curled up in his boyfriend's lap.

"He sure has been sleeping a lot lately," Nagi mused, looking over to the two people he was walking with.

"He did sleep more often at the beginning," Naru realized. "The longer he's stayed in Kritiker, the less sleep he needs. It's kind of strange."

"We'll bring that up to the others later. It's possible that he's just tiring himself out with the stress over that man and getting younger. Besides, look at how tightly Ken's holding him," Omi mentioned. The other two nodded and the three of them made their way into the room. As soon as they stepped into the room Ran's eyes flew open, proving that he still had his assassins instincts. [1]

"We brought Cocoa and Coffee!" Naru announced, bouncing slightly.

"Ahh, you chibis are so nice to us!" Yohji laughed. Ran and the members of Crashers exchanged a look, causing Yohji to pause. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it Yohji," Reiichi said to the flustered blond. "Besides, we have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Ken asked, repositioning Ran slightly and settling back in the armchair.

"Like whether you guys will let us leave soon enough to get a hotel room for the night. We _do_ still have to get a place to stay."

"I thought we had already agreed that we would rearrange the sleeping arrangements for as long as you would need a place… " Schuldich trailed off, then jumped up, blushed slightly, and sat back down. "Oh yeah, that was all in our heads. Everyone agreed that that was a good idea, but no one actually vocalized it."

"Okay," Brad said, taking charge of the situation since the real leader was still groggy and falling back to sleep. "Who's going to stay in who's room?"

"Are there any requests or preferences?"

"Couples should share rooms," Nagi whispered to Omi, causing the other boy to giggle.

****

That only opens up one room, Chibi. What do you suggest for the others? Besides, I don't think Ran would go for the idea. He and Ken may be together, but Ran would still like to wait. Schuldich explained in Nagi's head. Nagi was used to the invasion and simply answered his German teammate.

Wait for what? It's not like they can get married. Besides, aren't you and Yohji together? ****

Where would you get that idea? We're friends. Besides, I have my eyes on someone else. Schu responded, eyeing Brad.

It might be the fact that the two of you are constantly flirting with each other. ****

Oh, Chibi, we only flirt with each other to test out new ideas or to see if old ones still work. And as for the marriage thing, they may not be able to get married legally, but I do believe there is something called a Bonding Ceremony… [2]

"Are you two done yet?" Schuldich looked over to see Brad standing next to the loveseat with his arms crossed. He could feel Yohji snickering next to him. Schuldich sent an innocent and apologetic grin [3] Brad's way and kicked Yohji. Brad rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, Omi and Nagi will share a room, Schuldich and I will share a room, and Farfarello and Yohji will share a room. Ran or Ken will probably be sharing with one of us as well. That will open up five rooms."

"First of all, why can't Ran and Ken share a room? Aren't they dating?" Yuushi asked.

"Before you go on," Brad cut in, "Because we don't have a lot of mattresses or beds. They would have to share the bed as well. Please continue."

"Okay, part two is why we each get rooms to ourselves when you guys are all giving yours up."

"Because you are the guests. What else would you suggest? The couches may seem comfortable now, but when you're actually trying to sleep on them, they're the lumpiest things on the planet. Even when they've been folded out into beds," Omi responded.

"And how would you know that… " Naru questioned. Most of the assassins blushed at least a little.

"Well… for my birthday last year, Ken and I managed to convince everyone to camp out in here. I think Ran's the only one who fell asleep, and he was on the coffee table."

Queen looked from Omi to Ran and back again before even starting to form a response to that. "How… could he fall asleep on the coffee table when he can't sleep on the couch?"

"I had my trenchcoat under me, and I took one of the pillows from the couch. We had had the heater on all day, so it was warm enough to not need blankets," Ran answered.

"You fit eight people on one couch and two loveseats?" Reiichi asked.

"No, we were still known as Schwarz. We didn't join the team until around mid-June," Farfarello replied.

"Oh. Well, now that we have that settled, what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?" Queen inquired, trying to bring the conversation back to the topic.

"Nagi and I will share a room. That way there will be someone else with Internet access. We've gotten used to sharing stuff," Omi spoke up.

"And they said that I could stay with them, too!" Naru exclaimed, jumping up and down. Ran and the members of Crashers smiled indulgently at his hyper activity.

"Well, that takes care of three members. Each of the four of you can have your own rooms, and we can double up on bedrooms while you stay. However, there will be changes from last time," Ran announced. He and Brad exchanged a look, and Ran continued. "We got along best when Yohji and Schuldich were in separate rooms, so Schuldich will be sharing his room with Brad, Yohji and Farfarello will share Yohji's room, and Ken and I will stay in mine. Omi, Nagi, and Naru can stay in Omi's room, as it's the largest with a computer. Queen will take Brad's room, Yuushi will have Ken's room, since I know for a fact he doesn't mind clutter, even when it's someone else's. Reiichi will have Farfarello's room since it's the largest on the bottom floor, and Masato can have Nagi's room. Does anyone have any questions, comments, or arguments?"

No one disagreed, and everyone went downstairs to help the members of Crashers bring in their things. After everything was unpacked or moved, everyone met in the downstairs living room.

"I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, Naru."

"Still? I would have thought you'd have grown out of it by now."

"Not hardly! Now I think he eats more because he can."

"So, who's cooking?"

"Well, it's Nagi's turn."

"Ran! I'm still learning how to cook, and I really don't want to subject our guests to food poisoning on their first night here!"

"Food poisoning? That _has_ to be better than Yuushi's attempts at cooking. After a month with him in the kitchen, we realized that burnt food wasn't just a phase he would grow out of." 

"You ate burnt food for a month?"

"Yep. Well, we each had a plateful, and then ordered out."

"You ate it, too, Ran?"

"Hai." Ran shuddered, as if reliving a horrible memory. Yuushi's face turned redder than the violet-eyed man's hair and pouted.

"It's not like Masato or Queen were any better! Reiichi and Ran were the only ones that cooked well. What about you guys?"

"Initially, we took turns, but after three weeks of that, we realized we had the best food when Ran cooked. After that, he only got a break from the kitchen when someone else was feeling brave and we had enough for take-out. Then Yohji started really working on it, and Ran let a few hints slip. Then they took turns every once in awhile," Omi explained.

"Yeah," Schuldich agreed, "No one in Schwarz can cook, so we either dealt with Nagi's, since he's the best of all of us, or went out to eat."

"Aren't you two the best two assassin teams in Japan?"

"Why do you ask?"

"If you were that good, you probably had a lot of jobs. Where did all of your money go?"

Omi sighed and ducked his head, looking embarrassed. He told them anyway, though. "I used my money to buy things for the computer, as did Nagi. Ken spent his on sports stuff, and Farfarello spent his on sharp objects or bandages. Yohji and Schuldich used their pay on clothes, beauty products, and women, not necessarily in that order. Brad's paycheck went into house repairs or to replace things one of the others broke when angry. Ran's went to keep Yohji out of jail."

"What do you mean, 'keep me out of jail'?"

"Do you really think you paid all those bills at the bar? Even an assassin's paycheck doesn't go on forever."

"Oh… Thanks, Ran." The redhead in question simply shrugged and headed upstairs to his room. A moment later, he returned carrying an envelope. He opened it and rifled through a few papers. When he was done, he pulled out a few bills and handed them to Reiichi.

"Why don't you and Brad go and find something to eat? That will give the two of you a chance to get to know each other better, and the rest of us can finish unpacking and rearranging. Brad and Reiichi left the apartment amidst the sound of twelve groans. Even Queen was not looking forward to dealing with Ran's standards of 'clean'.

"So you knew him when he really looked like that?" Brad asked, looking at his companion. Reiichi nodded his head, and both men adjusted their glasses.

"Yes, I did. He was as much of a neat freak then as I'm guessing he is now."

"It kind of makes you wonder how he ended up with Ken."

"What makes you say that?"

"Ken's… not the neatest person in the world. He has the mindset that the floor is to be used as the largest shelf in the house. There have been more arguments about that alone than anything else put together. Except maybe who's turn it is for the morning shift. Since there are eight of us, we now open at five in the morning."

"Who would buy flowers at that hour?"

"You wouldn't believe the number of husbands, and wives, who forget their anniversaries until an hour before the other wakes up. Then it's off to the flower shop at the crack of dawn. Trust me, I'm not even awake and selling flowers to a panicking man or woman!"

"I don't envy you, Brad Crawford."

"Neither do I. How does your team feel about greasy 'American' food?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"We're back!"

"You had better have food!"

"Of course we do! We found a marvelous restaurant, right beneath two golden arches."

"Huh?"

"McDonald's."

"YUMMY!!!"

"Calm down Naru."

After eating, the assassins hung out in the living room for awhile and talked for a few more hours. One by one, though, they began falling asleep. All of the sleeping ones (Omi, Nagi, Naru, Ken, Schuldich, and Farfarello) were either woken up, or picked up by their roommates and sent (or carried) to their rooms. After that, the rest of the Kritiker agents said goodnight.

A/N: Wow! That was a long one! My page count is… 10! Can you believe it? BTW, the update on Family Secrets is only to make what I wrote in this one correspond with what I wrote earlier. I had to change a few parts. Sorry if that confused anyone. And I still haven't received ANY information concerning Crashers, so I'm hoping that just means that you haven't found anything, not that you don't care enough to look. T.T Anyway, please review!

[1] –That's not necessarily assassin's instincts. That happens to me, too. As soon as a new presence enters the room where I'm sleeping I'll wake up. It gets more than a little annoying…

[2] –I have no idea if that's what it was called or not. I read about it in a fic I was reading awhile ago. BTW, if you're the author (can't remember name or title, but it's the one where Ran and Yohji go to take out someone who's been attacking gays and Ran really is one) I'm sorry I can't give you more credit for your idea. Oh, and the Speedo thing was great!

[3] –Yeah, like he really means it! (In case you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm)


	5. Information and Introductions

A/N: Hey! I'm back! Did no one notice that I changed Chapter Four from an A/N to an actual chapter? I haven't gotten any reviews for that chapter. If you're wondering why I did that, it's because it gets annoying to read a story and half way through there's an A/N that has no point being there because it was put up over a year before I find it. It makes more sense to just replace the note with the next chapter. On top of that, I will be adding in my own twists for Crashers in this chapter. I still don't know any of their ages, and Queen's real name shall more than likely forever remain a mystery, so I'm doing what I want with them!

Chapter Five: Information and Introductions 

"Ran?" A voice whispered in the dark.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I woke up when you came in."

"Oh. What is it?"

"I know this will sound kind of strange, but when you're twenty again, I mean- when you grow up again… will you marry me?"

"NANI?!?!?"

"I figured you rather I ask you when no one's around to see your reaction… and well… I mean it. I… I do want to marry you."

"Hai."

"Ran?"

"Nani?"

"Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru, Ken."

"Oyasumi."

"Mmm."

The next day, Ran woke up still aged eighteen. His good mood was shattered, however, when he went downstairs and saw Yohji on the phone with Manx. Talking about him. Behind his back. The others forgave him for trying to strangle Yohji with the telephone cord. Yohji did not.

Later that day, Yohji was still pouting about being strangled, and Ran was still pouting about being talked about behind his back. Schuldich was upset that Yohji would do anything behind Ran's back. Brad was (to his own confusion) upset that Schuldich was upset. Farfarello was mad that Yohji had been strangled. Omi and Nagi were upset that the phone had been ripped out of the wall. Reiichi, Queen, Masato, and Yuushi were upset that their first real day with Weiss was a bad day. Ken and Naru were happy, but for different reasons. Ken was still ecstatic about Ran's acceptance of his proposal the night before. Naru was happy because one person in the house besides him was not succumbing to the bad mood permeating the building. Needless to say, the shop wasn't opened that morning.

At around noon, Manx showed up carrying a thick envelope. She took one look at the eleven grouchy assassins and rolled her eyes. "Would all of you stop! Yohji called because he was worried about you, Ran. You had no right to strangle him. However, Yohji, you should have at least informed him. Now, I want to see the two of you make up. That includes facing each other and shaking hands."

Ran and Yohji stood and walked over to each other. Yohji gave Ran a sheepish grin, which Ran returned, ducking his head slightly to hide his face. The two shook hands, and the entire room lost its hostility.

"Thank you. Now that that's taken care of, I would like to inform you of what Kritiker knows about Ran's condition. Oh, and Bishop, would you please get your cat? She's about to jump out the window." There was a startled cry following Manx's announcement while Reiichi rushed to get his cat. A few moments later, Manx shook her head at all the attention the cat was receiving from the dark-haired man.

"It's okay," the man crooned while petting his cat, "You're safe now."

"If we could please get back to business?" Queen asked, also rolling her eyes at her teammate.

"Look, Naru likes computer games, too!" Omi announced, looking up from the computer screen, where Naru had successfully beaten another level in the game the three 'youngests' were playing.

"Let's start with information concerning everyone," Manx decided. She turned to Queen before asking if the other woman needed to know anything about Weiss. At her affirmative nod, Manx started. "We'll start with the leaders, then."

"How about you and I start?" Queen asked Manx. The redheaded woman nodded in relief at having a place to start.

"Alright. For those of you in Crashers who weren't paying attention when I came to get Ran, or when I dropped him off with you, my real name is Kitada Hanae. My age is not relevant. For you in Weiss, this is Queen. If she wishes to tell you her real name while she's with you, good. She was known only as 'Queen' when she joined us."

"That's because that's my real name."

"What?"

"My first name is Queen. I forgot my last name awhile ago. And no, I will not tell you my age, either."

Hanae nodded and started to continue when she was interrupted again. This time it was by Ken. "How come we don't get to give our own names and ages? Why are you the one introducing us?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows all of you. Now if I may? Weiss' leaders are Fujimiya Ran, who you all know, and Crawford Brad, who is a twenty-six and a clairvoyant. Then come Kudou Yohji who's twenty-two, and Schuldich, the twenty-four year-old telepath. After them come Hidaka Ken, age nineteen, and Farfarello Jei, aged twenty. He is unable to feel pain. Last are the computer geniuses, Tsukiyono Omi, aged eighteen, and Naoe Nagi, the seventeen-year-old telekinetic.

"Crashers is made up of Queen, who you have already heard of, and Shirasagi Reiichi, the twenty four-year-old mission planner. Tanuma Masato is the oldest at twenty-nine, and he uses a pike for missions. Honjou Yuushi is twenty-two, and uses a chain whip/belt contraption that still confuses me. The youngest, Uhyou Naru is the explosions expert, and is nineteen."

"WHAT?!?! How can he be nineteen?" Omi didn't know if he was more shocked at hearing that the new 'chibi' was as old as Ken, or from hearing the result of Nagi's shock.

"It's more fun to act younger than I am," Naru explained. "It makes people suspect me less!"

"That, and we think he may have the same mental state as the blue-haired Schreient girl. What was her name? Oh! Tot," Ran couldn't help but laugh at the faces of the Weiss members at hearing the name of that girl. That was somewhere between disgust and embarrassed.

"What's wrong, Nagikins? I thought you liked Tot-chan," Schuldich teased, earning him a glare from the youngest chibi.

"I grew out of it."

"Nagi had a crush on her?" Omi asked, feeling annoyed at how often he was being surprised that day.

"Yep! He even brought their mansion down around us when he thought she had died. I thought he would kill all of us!" Schuldich confirmed.

"Is that what made the house collapse?"

"It was a mansion Yohji-kun."

"And to answer your question, yes. He's the reason it collapsed. He was upset that someone had killed his darling little Tot!"

"I. Grew. Out. Of. It," Nagi growled.

By that time, Ran was holding his sides laughing. He was barely holding himself upright. Hanae smirked at seeing her youngest brother finally able to act so free. Of course, it helped that he was back to the age he was at before all of the pain started. After a few more minutes of teasing went by, Manx decided that she had better bring it to an end if she didn't want Ran's sides to explode from his laughter.

"Okay! That's enough!" she shouted. When that didn't work, she put two fingers into her mouth and let loose a shrill whistle. Everyone turned to look at her as she straightened her skirt. Even Ran had stopped laughing. "Alright, Yohji, Schuldich, please stop picking on Nagi. And can we please get back to business?"

"Sorry, Hanae." A chorus of apologies followed Schuldich's; some more sincere than others.

"I have information on Ran's condition, if you care to hear?" A round of affirmative nods, grunts, and words followed her announcement. "From what Kritiker has found, there is no real order to Ran's rejuvenation. He will continue to get younger with no pattern, and we can't tell when the de-aging will stop. But don't worry, his age will stabilize before he ceases to be."

"Small comfort," Ran mumbled, getting depressed.

"Hey, you should be happy! You get to relive your childhood, only backwards!"

"I don't think that will help any Naru."

"Sorry."

"He does have a point, Ran. You have reason to be thankful."

"And what reason would that be?"

"If any more of that stuff had been spilt on you, you would have ceased to exist before you got home the night it was spilt on you."

"Then what makes you so sure that it won't kill me eventually with what _was_ spilt on me?"

"For one thing, it wouldn't kill you, period. You would just get younger to the point of being pre-conceived."

"Which would kill me because, as far as I know, both of my parents are dead."

"That are," Schuldich cut in. Ran gave him a confused look before shaking his head.

"Thanks. And if both parents are dead, who's left to create me?"

"The Kritiker scientists have discovered that it will eventually wear off. When that happens, you will start growing again. They don't know when you will begin to grow again, but they do know that you ill still be when you do."

"Thanks." Schuldich wrapped his arms around his little brother and hugged him. Ran leaned into the hug, trying to draw comfort inside of himself through the action.

"I'm sorry to leave you with such depressing news, but I've got to go. I'm sorry, Ran," Hanae told her youngest brother.

Ran nodded again. "It's okay. You're not the one who dumped this all over me." Manx walked over and kissed the rejuvenating man on the forehead before walking out the door.

"So… when you're feeling better, care to explain why you were talking about that man yesterday morning?" Masato asked nervously.

"Can I see it?" Reiichi asked. Ran nodded and stood up. "Where are you going?"

"It's still in my room. That's not the kind of thing you bring with you wherever you go."

The twelve Kritiker agents watched Ran leave the room. He headed upstairs to get the letter the man had sent to him. Crashers was curious as to what had brought the memories back to their ex-member; Weiss was worried that seeing the letter, and having more people talk about it, would bring the memories back again. Before anyone could talk about the matter, though, Ran returned, carrying the envelope in a Ziploc bag.

"Um… Rannie? It's not like that letter is gonna jump out and bite you…" Schuldich commented.

"Do you know that for a fact?" Ran asked, completely unfazed.

"No, but- "

"Then don't say a word."

Queen took the envelope out of the Ziploc, and then took the letter out of the envelope. After reading through it twice, she handed the letter to Reiichi. Naru, who had gotten very impatient, and knew all too well that he would be the last to look if he waited his turn, jumped up and read the letter over Reiichi's shoulder.

Dear Orchid, __

How could you run from me like that? I know you're the one who put me here. I'm in for life thanks to you. But don't worry Little Orchid. I'll come back for you. Do you want to know what we will do together, Orchid? What I will do to you? I'll make you regret ever seeing me. I will get you back for what you did to me. You can count on it.

~~~

"What?" Naru squeaked, too angry to get his voice to go any louder. A moment later, Reiichi was wishing that he could have stayed that way. "He blames you for what happened to him? Is the man BLIND? You obviously weren't the only person there! I mean, come on! Queen had him down for awhile until you came along! And then Reiichi was there, too! How STUPID!"

"Calm down, Naru. He's not going to get Ran. We'll protect him."

"Thanks Queen, but I don't need a protector."

"You obviously do! I mean, you were practically catatonic when Reiichi brought you home! And now you're paranoid from just receiving a letter!"

"Thanks for pointing that out, Yuushi, but I've got reason to be paranoid!"

"Oh? How?"

"He knows my address and my real name!"

"What makes you think that?"

"LOOK AT THE ENVELOPE!"

"Ran, Babe, calm down. He just didn't look, that's all. It's okay," Ken assured his fiancé. Ran shook his head and hid his face in Ken's shoulder. The others could barely make out the sobs emanating from the distraught redhead.

"Ran?" Yuushi called to him. "Ran, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you like that, I just wish we could figure out why he's only after you." Ran looked up from Ken's shoulder, tears running freely down his cheeks.

"You think I don't?" he sniffed before turning back to Ken. Schuldich walked over to the couple and pulled Ran away from Ken. He picked his younger brother up and started to carry him upstairs. Halfway to the top, Schuldich turned back around.

"I'm taking him to his room, and I'll stay with him until he either calms down or falls asleep. Try to think of something to do about this while I'm gone, okay? Oh, and Yohji? You might want to call Hanae again and let her know what's happened tonight."

"Alright."

"Do you want me to bring up some tea for the two of you?" Brad asked, trying to feel useful even when there was nothing he could really do for Ran. Schuldich heard his thoughts and sighed, but he flashed Brad a tired grin.

"Tea would be great, thanks."

Outside, a man hid in the shadows, listening to their conversation word for word. He had smiled when Ran spoke of still being frightened, and grinned maliciously when the others had said they would protect him. He knew no one would be able to protect Ran when he came for him. After another evil smirk, the man turned and walked away, humming to himself.

A/N: How was it? Still good enough to continue? Don't worry, the real de-aging is going to occur soon. Please review and tell me what you thought of the last two chapters.


	6. Back to the Basics

A/N: Still no reviews, huh? That's a little depressing… Ah well. Here's chapter five (listed as six, because the prologue counts as a chapter, too). Enjoy!

Later that night, Brad was still in Ran's room, keeping watch over the redhead. Schuldich had fallen asleep not long after Ran did, and the others were still downstairs talking. Brad looked between the two redheads before opening his mouth.

"Ran? You and Schuldich – hopefully – can't hear me, so I'm going to get some things off my chest. I still have a crush on you, Ran, but I want you to know that I won't do anything while you're with Ken. By the way, congratulations. I had a vision earlier today of the two of you getting married. I hope that works out for you. I had a few other visions, too. Schuldich and I were together, as were Yohji and Farfarello. I didn't see anything concerning the chibis, but we already know that they like each other. And I think Crashers is going to stay a very big part of your life even after this whole de-aging thing wears off.

"I'm beginning to think I'm falling for Schuldich anyway. It's not just because of the vision; I was starting to feel something awhile ago. I know you won't feel bad that I'm getting over you, but I still just can't bear to say anything when someone might actually hear me." Brad stopped, feeling a vision coming on. When it was over, he grimaced. "I had better get downstairs now. If I don't, Yuushi and Yohji are going to have a contest to see who can chug the most hot coffee the fastest. I'm really not in the mood for a trip to the hospital." Brad then stood up and headed for the door. At the last minute he turned back and picked Schuldich up. He carried the redheaded telepath across the hall and into his own room before closing both doors gently and heading downstairs. Luckily he made it before the boiling hot liquid the two Kritiker agents were chugging was spewed all over Reiichi's face.

After a few more hours of discussion, the rest of the agents decided to call it a night and they all headed to their rooms.

The next morning brought more than a few changes and surprises. The first surprise was hearing Ken scream bloody murder at four in the morning. The others rushed to the room he was sharing with Ran, and saw the soccer-playing brunette staring wide-eyed at a lump on the mattress on Ran's side of the bed. The lump was curled into a little ball and crying loudly.

Farfarello approached the bed cautiously and pulled back the covers. There, curled up in a ball and wearing a shirt at least five sizes too big, was a redheaded child. When the covers were taken away, the child raised wide purple eyes up to stare into Farfarello's yellow ones. The two continued to stare for a few minutes before the child sniffled and looked around the room. What he saw obviously wasn't comforting, because he began to cry again.

"Ran?" Schuldich asked, cautiously. The child looked over at him, curiosity replacing fear, at least for a moment.

"Who are you?" Ran asked timidly. At receiving blank looks from all of them, he decided to try again. "Where are Kaasan and Kouga?"

"Um... Ran? Do you have any idea how old you are?"

"I asked you first."

"Yeah, but I'm older. My question's bigger than yours." The child thought over Schuldich's response for a few minutes before nodding and smiling.

"I'm ten. Where are they?"

"They're… on vacation. We're going to take care of you for awhile."

"Oh… who's taking care of Aya?"

"Different friends."

"Why haven't I ever seen you before?"

"You have; you just don't remember it."

"Kaasan says I have a good memory. Who are you?"

"How many questions are you going to ask?"

"I asked first!"

"I'm still older."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four." Ran smirked at his victory while Schuldich smacked his head in annoyance. It had been a long time since he had had to go against a ten-year-old's logic. It didn't help that the ten-year-old was smart. "Fine, we're friends of yours. You got in an accident a few days ago, so now you don't remember us."

"You aren't very good at taking care of people, are you?"

"What makes you say that? I think we've done pretty good so far."

"If I was in an accident, then you weren't taking care of me."

"You're infuriating!"

"What's infur… what's that mean?"

"It means annoying."

"What's that mean?"

"It means you're getting on my nerves!"

Ran giggled at how easy it was to get to the older redhead. "Why?"

Schuldich threw his hands in the air and headed out the door. "Why don't you deal with him, Ken? You're good with kids." Ken stared back and forth at the two siblings before bursting into laughter. Ran moved so that he was sitting with his feet out in front of him. When he noticed what he was wearing, he looked up at Ken.

"Um… Ken-san?" He asked. Ken's eyes widened for a second before softening as he turned to face his – now ten-year-old – fiancé.

"Yes?"

"Um… can I change clothes?"

"Sure! I don't see why not! …Why?"

"This is too big. Why am I wearing a dress?" All of the 'adults' in the room looked to see what Ran was talking about. The T-shirt may have been a perfect fit for his as a twenty-year-old, and still wearable at eighteen, but it came down to the ten-year-old's knees. Ran had gone from 5'10" to about 4'1" literally overnight. Omi and Nagi exchanged a look before running out of the room.

They returned a few minutes later carrying boxes of clothes. Omi pulled out a shirt and held it against the air to judge its size. "Your mom didn't leave us with any of your clothes, but you might be able to fit into some of mine and Nagi's old things."

"Arigatou!" Ran chirped. He slid off the bed, grabbed the clothes from Omi and spent the next few minutes looking around the room. Finally, Naru's curiosity got the best of him.

"What are you looking for, Rannie?"

"Which door goes to the bathroom?" Ken pointed the child in the right direction, and sank to his knees when the door closed.

"I guess now we're back to the basics in logic, aren't we?"

"What makes you say that, Ken?"

"Kids have a different kind of logic. Ran's ten now, so we have to deal with his type of thought process now."

"Oh. Hey, Ken. Why'd you wake us up at four in the morning?"

"I wasn't expecting him to get so young so fast! I just got up and there was a little kid where Ran was supposed to be. It just surprised me."

"What were you doing up at four in the morning in the first place?"

"I had to go… Be right back! Ken then ran out the bedroom door and to the nearest bathroom. All eleven people left in the room shook their heads, and in unison, said, "Baka." Then Naru and Reiichi headed downstairs. Omi and Nagi went back to Omi's room, Yohji and Farfarello went back to bed, and Yuushi and Masato decided to see if there was anything good on at that hour.

As soon as the room was mostly cleared, Ran came back in, his head pulled toward his chest, and his fingers struggling with a button. Queen walked over to him and knelt down at his level. The blue-haired woman gently pulled the child's hands away from the shirt. "Let me help, okay?" Ran nodded, already fed up with the buttons on the shirt. At that moment, Schuldich and Ken walked back into the room.

"Hey Ran! Um… what are you doing, Queen?" Ken asked.

"The buttons were being mean, so she's helping to get them closed!" Once the shirt was buttoned, Ran launched himself into Schuldich's arms. Luckily for them both, Schuldich's reflexes were working.

"Are you still mad at me?" Ran asked innocently, staring innocently at his older brother.

"No… what do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting too innocent."

"You look like Kaasan said Tousan looked like."

"I might tell you the reason for that later."

"Really?"

"Really. Now answer one more question: How can you possibly be so awake so early in the morning?" The child shrugged his tiny shoulders then sniffed at the air. Before Schuldich could even comprehend what was happening, Ran started squirming in his arms.

"Come ON! They're making pancakes!" The child shrieked in delight. He then sniffed again. "BLUEBERRY!"

"Alright, alright! Let's go." Schuldich set his younger brother on his shoulders to give the child a piggyback ride down to the table.

"So he doesn't remember anything about what's happened to him at all?" Hanae asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah," Schuldich said over the phone. "We had to tell him each of our names a few times. He can't get my name right, so I've been dubbed 'Schu'."

"That shouldn't bother you. It is your nickname, after all."

"Yeah, I don't care. Most of us are a Niichan now, too. Ken and Queen are the only ones who aren't. Queen is an Oneechan, and Ken said he'd prefer to be called just 'Ken'. Oh, and would it be okay to tell him about Lanen and Dad?"

"Go ahead. Just make it easier for him to understand. If he's only ten, he probably won't understand certain things."

"Alright. Thanks Hanae."

"Not a problem. Bye Schu."

"Bye."

"So, my tousan and your tousan are the same person?"

"That's right."

"YAY!" 

"Um… why?"

"'Cause. Now Kouga can't say my real tousan was a bum!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause my real tousan was just busy with his own kids! Hey, Schu-niichan?"

"Hmm?"

"Does that make you my real Niichan?"

"Yes it does. You also have a real Neechan. She'll be coming over later."

"What's her name?"

"Hanae."

"Is she Kitada or Fujimiya?"

"Kitada. She's older than me."

"How old is she?"

"I'm not allowed to tell. She can still beat me up." Ran laughed at Schu's face as the older man said that. The two then headed back out into the living room. They had been in Ran's room while Schuldich explained the family business. Upon reaching the living room, Ran immediately grabbed the remote control and changed the channel to cartoons.

"HEY! I was watching that!"

Ran wrinkled his nose at Yohji. "What's so interesting about that?"

"It's _Baywatch_!"

"Boring!"

Everyone laughed at Yohji losing an argument against a ten-year-old. Ran was standing on the back of one of the downstairs couches (there were three) and Yohji was leaning against the TV, switching back to _Baywatch_ every time Ran would use the remote to change the channel to cartoons.

Later that night, most of the agents (Hanae included) were again discussing how to keep Ran safe. The child had charmed his way into each of their hearts – and the hearts of their customers in the shop – throughout that day. They had had to say that Ran was a cousin of Schuldich's that had come to visit for awhile.

They had decided earlier that one of them would take Ran out to the park to play during the discussion. Masato had volunteered to go, and had taken his cell phone just in case anything happened or they needed to get ahold of him. An hour after arriving, Masato was grumbling half-heartedly at Ran, who was swinging happily. The boy had ruined four of Masato's cigarettes within the first ten minutes of arriving at the park.

Just as Masato was contemplating trying another cigarette, Ran bounded over holding a large ball in his arms. "Masato-niichan! The other kids said we could play with this for a while, and their moms said we could too, and could you play with me please?" Masato nodded and stood up with a smile. He had always wanted to know what the Red Rook's smile looked like. After he had returned to his childhood – at least partially – his smile had returned full-force.

Masato kneeled down to be more at Ran's level. He soon realized his mistake as the ball was kicked into his face. "Gomen, Masato-niichan! It doesn't usually go that fast when I kick it!"

"How often do you kick balls around, Rannie?"

"A lot. I play soccer, so I hafta kick the ball." [1]

"You should tell Ken that, he'd love to hear that you play soccer."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He coaches little kids around here."

"Wow! Masato-niichan? How far can you kick it?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't want to chase after it if it does end up actually moving."

"I'll get it! Please kick it? I wanna see how far it'll go!"

"Fine." Masato ran up and kicked the ball as hard as he could. He and Ran both watched for a few minutes as it flew through the air. When it landed Ran flashed Masato a grin and took off after it. Masato smiled back and shook his head at the kid. He had no idea where Ran got so much energy.

Before Masato could even sit back down, though, he heard a shriek from the area Ran had run off to. Masato took off after the rejuvenating leader of Weiss. He ran through a line of trees and stopped short. Ran was in the grip of the man from all those years ago. The child's screaming was muffled by the lips pressed over his own. Ran's wide violet eyes were darting all around the area in fear, even as he fought the large arms pinning him to the man's body.

Masato's eyes narrowed, and he charged toward the man. At the last second, the man looked up, threw Ran into the air, and tried to dodge. He managed to avoid the main impact of Masato's charge, but he was still knocked to the ground. The only thing that kept Masato from finishing him off at that moment was the child in his arms. Immediately after attacking the man, Masato had turned and grabbed Ran right before the child hit the ground.

Ran was sobbing loudly and clinging tightly to Masato's shirt. Masato rubbed small circles on his back while glaring daggers at the man on the ground. Ran mumbled something, and while Masato's attention was focused elsewhere, the man slipped away, even more determined to get Ran.

A/N: That's all for now. Actually, that's all until I get a few reviews. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!

[1] – Yeah, just another thought that I thought sounded cute.


	7. Onward to Tokyo Disney

A/N: Yay! I'm back, and I got reviews!!! YAY!!!! ^^ Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last two (?) chapters! In other words, thanks to waking dreams, Anime the Fallen Angel, gonyos, KyraEnsui, Dragon Shadow4, Phox1, Manx16, Kyra2, and Yami Aibou. It is much appreciated and the only thing that keeps me writing this fic! …All fics really. If you write, then you know what I mean. NEways, on to the story!

'Thoughts'

"Speaking"

****

Telepathy

"Pease?"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because we don't have enough time or money!"

"Why?"

"Because we haven't been paid in a few weeks."

"Why?"

"Because we haven't had a job in the last few weeks."

"Why?"

"Because we've been watching you."

"Why?"

"Because you might be attacked again."

"Why?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."

"Why?"

"Ran?"

"Huh?"

"Go to sleep now."

"I don' wanna."

"But you're tired."

"Am not."

"Then why'd you yawn?"

"Wasn' a yawn."

"Mm-hmm. You're getting sleepy."

"Am not." Ran rubbed a hand across his eyes, trying to stay awake. It was about a week after the attack, and Ran had reached the age of five. Schuldich was currently trying to convince his tiny brother that sleep was a good thing. The redheaded chibi had woken up around five that morning, and hadn't had a nap all day. Sometime between noon and three – Yohji's breakfast time – Ran had seen a commercial about Disney Land. The child had immediately grabbed hold of the idea and begged everyone in the Koneko's apartment building to take him. So far, all of Crashers and most of Weiss had caved and were trying to talk the remaining holdouts into granting him his 'one desire'.

Schuldich was one of those holdouts. The others were Omi and Brad. Yohji would have been among them if he hadn't been the first to agree with the chibi. By the time nine had rolled around, most of the household was sick of hearing about Disney. However, Ran was still adamant about going.

"Tell you what: If you go to sleep, and sleep until at least eight tomorrow, we'll go to Tokyo Disney the day after that, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart!"

Ran giggled at the face Schuldich made to accompany his promise. Then, holding to his end of the bargain, the child rolled onto his stomach – his preferred sleeping position – and fell asleep. Schu smiled at his little brother. Ran was so innocent, especially as a child. Then he grimaced. How was he going to tell the others that he had finally caved and promised his brother that they'd go?

"You WHAT?"

"Come on, Brad! It's not like he's been sleeping very much lately! How is he going to stay asleep until eight?"

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is?"

"How are we supposed to protect him if we're in the middle of a crowded theme park?"

"One of us will be with him at all times."

"What about when he has to use the bathroom?"

"One of us will go into the restroom with him. Queen and Hanae are the only females in the group."

"And if he wants to go on a ride that we're too big for?"

"We'll send Omi, Nagi, or Naru with him."

"They'll be too big, too!"

"Not if we say that Ran has some kind of medical condition that makes it necessary for him to be watched at all times."

"And who would believe that?"

"Come on, Brad! It's the only thing he's asked for the entire time he's been getting younger!"

"Only because he hasn't been five for very long."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"In another few days he'll want every toy he sees advertised on TV!"

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I had a younger sister."

"Oh. Where is she now?"

"Finishing Junior High. In America."

"You never talk about her."

"I don't visit over there."

"Any real reason for that?"

"I'm an assassin and my mother knows about it."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"She could be hurt if she knew any real information about my whereabouts. I call every few months to let her know I'm alive, but that's about it."

"Does your dad know?"

"He died a few weeks after Krys was born."

"Krys?"

"Short for Krystal; my little sister."

"Ah. I'd like to meet them some day."

"You will not go into their heads to find out about my childhood."

"Of course not. Does that mean I can meet them?"

"When Ran's gotten back to his own age and the lovebirds have gotten married, yes. I'll take you to visit my family while they're on their honeymoon."

"Neat. But back to the original subject. I don't think Ran would approve of our putting a leash on him; even as a child he has a short temper. So what are we going to have to do to get your approval of letting him out of the house?"

Brad closed his eyes and shook his head. He didn't like talking about his family, but he had hoped that it would get Schu's mind off of their impending trip to Disney. He finally relented and agreed that it would be okay if they went, so long as Ran was in sight of at least three of them at all times. Schuldich responded saying that he had planned on the number watching him be four or five at a time. Brad just shook his head again.

"KAASAAAAAN!!!!!" Schu jumped out of bed at the high-pitched scream. He ran out of his own room and into his younger brother's. Ken had his arms around the child and was trying to quiet him. The tiny redhead had his face buried in the brunette's chest and was sobbing.

"Rannie? Rannie, what's wrong?" Schuldich asked gently. When he looked to Ken for answers, the younger assassin just shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either. Schuldich walked over to the bed and lifted Ran into his arms. The child continued crying, but he was already beginning to calm down. "Come on, Rannie. What is it?"

"I- I want _Mommy_!" [1] The chibi sniffled. Schu's own eyes teared up hearing that statement. He hadn't even considered that Ran would want his mother after a nightmare – because that was obviously what had woken the child up.

"It's okay. Shhh… It's okay, Rannie. She isn't here right now, but it'll be okay."

"But she died!"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw her! Schu, Mommy and Daddy were dead! Then Aya-chan died, too!"

"Oh, Rannie… It'll be okay." The child nodded, believing that Schuldich wouldn't lie to him. He allowed himself to be lowered back onto the bed before sitting back up.

"Schu!"

"What is it, Rannie?"

"Can we please still go to Disney?"

"Only if you fall back to sleep right now."

"'Kay." Ran rolled back over again, and was sound asleep again in a few more minutes. Ken and Schuldich exchanged a smile before Ken lay back down as well and Schuldich left the room. When he got out the door, he found everyone but Brad waiting for an explanation. Schu shook his head and told them what had happened. Weiss left, knowing that it was taken care of. Crashers took a little more convincing, but they were back in bed as well after another few minutes. Schuldich sighed as he lowered himself into the bed he was sharing with Brad.

The oracle rolled over to face the German man. "Care to explain one more time?"

"Ran had a nightmare. Actually, it was a memory."

"Oh?"

"He saw his parents and sister the day they died."

"After they had died?"

"Yep."

"Is he okay now?"

"Yeah. When I put him back to bed he was worried about whether or not we were still going to Disney tomorrow."

"We'll need two vans."

"I rented a bus."

"When did you have time for that?" Brad questioned, sitting up in bed.

"After you agreed that we could take Ran and before I came to bed."

"That was maybe twenty minutes!"

"You aren't put on hold when the person thinks you're important."

"And why would anyone think _you_ would be _important_?" Brad asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Hey, at least we'll all be in one vehicle!"

"Fine, fine," Brad managed to say around a yawn. He was too tired to argue any further with the telepath. "Good night."

"'Night, Braddie."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No, Ran. I just told Schuldich."

"Are we- "

"Don't even start, Yohji."

"I have to go to the bathroom!"

"You should have gone before we left, Naru."

It was the next morning, and the fourteen Kritiker agents were in a bus on their way to Tokyo Disney. Hanae, Brad, Reiichi, Queen, and Masato were hard-pressed to keep the other nine agents in line. They were all acting like their usual immature selves, and, added to Ran's current state, that made it a tiring trip. It was three hours and four rest stops into the drive when everyone really started getting antsy.

"If Ran was at his usual age, this wouldn't be a problem."

"What makes you say that, Brad?" Reiichi asked, curious.

"On our trip up to Villa White when we first joined, Ran managed to keep them all silent during most of the trip. There were only a few instances like this one, and that was a ten-hour trip."

"What about the way down?"

"He had a cold, so no one messed with him. He was in a pretty bad mood at that time."

"How did he get sick?"

"He fell into the lake. The lake was still mostly frozen."

"Wow."

"What was he like when he was with you?"

"He was more relaxed than he seems to be now, at least from what the eight of you have told us about his usual attitude."

"I'm HUNGRY!"

"I told you to eat breakfast, Yuushi."

"You didn't say that we wouldn't stop! I thought we'd at least get a snack!"

"I wanna eat, NOW!"

"Ran, be polite!"

"I wanna eat now, please."

"Close enough."

"So, you want four rooms?"

"Yes."

"For tonight?"

"And tomorrow."

"Alright." 

"In a suite."

"Okay." The clerk at the hotel gave an amount that, had they had any other profession, would have made their eyes bug out. As it was, they simply handed over the money requested and took their things to their rooms.

The suite they had received had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living area/kitchen. The males of the group would be sharing two to a bed, and two beds to a room. The females, who would have the fourth room, would each get their own bed. Ran, Ken, Schuldich, and Brad were sharing one room. Yohji, Farfarello, Omi, and Nagi were sharing the second; and Reiichi, Yuushi, Masato, and Naru were sharing the last room. 

They had decided that, since the trip had worn the mature ones down, they would spend the night in a hotel and go to the theme park the next day. After spending the entire day at the amusement park, they would need to stay another night just to get their strength back.

As he was putting his things onto one side of the bed he was sharing with Brad, Schuldich felt a small tug at his pant leg. He looked down and saw Ran, holding a stuffed bear and looking up at him.

"Hey, Rannie! Where's you get the bear?"

"It was in the living room."

"Do you like it?" Ran looked at the white bear, crinkling his nose a little.

"I like brown better."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I took him somewhere else?"

"Nope!" Ran held out the bear and Schu smiled.

"So, what did you want, Rannie?"

"I'm hungry again."

"Well then, let's go see if Queen and Oneechan will give us something to eat, ne?"

"Hai!" Ran left the room and began his search for the two women of the party. Schuldich looked down at the bear in his hands. He didn't want to be paranoid, but something felt… off about the toy.

"Nagi?" Schuldich called. He didn't have to wait long for the telekinetic to answer.

What is it, Schuldich? ****

Would you come in here for a minute?

What's this about, Schuldich?

I need you to help me with something. Please?

Give me a minute.

Thanks. 

Less than a minute later, the teenager walked into the room. "Yes?"

"Would you… dispose of this?"

"Even you can walk to the trashcan, Schu. Besides, aren't you the one who used to be on the basketball team?"

"That's not what I meant. You your powers to crush it." [2]

"Why?"

"I'm getting a bad vibe from it."

"Okay… "

"I'm not crazy!"

"At least not certifiably."

"True."

Nagi concentrated on the bear, and with a Bamph the offending toy was gone. However, Schu noticed that Nagi was looking concerned. "Nagi?"

"It wasn't supposed to make that sound."

"What sound was it supposed to make?"

"More of a 'poof'."

"Than what was that?"

"That's what it sounds like when I use my powers to crush bombs."

"Crap!"

"Where'd you get it?"

"Ran found it in the living room area."

"Do you think that man followed us here?"

"I have no idea. But… let's not tell the others. They'd just call the trip off, and with our being so close, that would just be cruel. Ran has his heart set on going. More so now than yesterday."

"I agree. But we have to keep and extra close watch on him tomorrow."

"Agreed."

"Come on!"

"Ran, you've ridden this one five times already! And we've only been here… forty minutes!"

"But it's fun."

"Do _I_ have to ride it again?"

"Don't worry, chibi. I'll ride it with you," Yohji promised, taking the child's hand and leading him to the line for the ride. Schuldich fell onto a bench, exhausted. They had been at the park for less than an hour, and Ran was already wearing him down. When the ride was over, Ran was finally persuaded to leave the spinning Teacups.

"How long can it take for three men to use the restroom?"

"Keep in mind that one of them is five."

"Still. It shouldn't take this- "

"AAAHHHHHHH!!" Hanae and Queen ended their conversation when they heard a pained scream come from the bathroom. They were about to head in to see if something had happened when Naru walked Ran out of the bathroom. The nineteen-year-old looked caught between sympathy and laughter.

"Naru! _What_ is going on in there?"

"Yuushi got caught in his zipper." Naru handed Ran off to Hanae and headed back into the bathroom, chuckling and wincing at the same time when another scream pierced the air.

"But I'm big enough!"

"Sorry, kid, but you have to be this tall."

"Will you let him in if two of us accompany him?"

"Why two?"

"One of us can sit on either side of him to keep him from falling out."

"Look, he has to be three inches taller before he can ride."

"Why does three inches make such a big difference?"

"It's the rules."

"But- " The man shook his head again, and Ken looked down at Ran. The child looked like he was about to cry. **Schuldich!**

Ack! What?

Could you convince this guy that he wants to let Ran ride? I know Ran can handle it, but he's three inches too short.

Give me a sec'. 

"Alright, but don't tell anyone." Ken looked into the man's face, and saw the telltale glaze over the man's eyes, showing that he was under Schuldich's control.

"Thank you." **Thanks, Schu.**

The next day, the fourteen agents were, once again, piled into the bus. This time, they were headed home. Ran was still exhausted from the previous day, and had almost immediately curled up in Yuushi's lap and fallen asleep. Everyone was careful to let the child sleep, so the ride was quiet. So quiet, that by the time they had gotten back to the Koneko, the nine 'younger' agents were all asleep. The older ones were awakened when they got back, but the younger ones were carried inside and put to bed.

After they were all asleep, the older ones sat in the downstairs living room and talked, comparing shift stories. By the end of the day, it was agreed that the funniest was Yuushi getting caught. When the tea and coffee was finished, they rinsed out the cups and other dishes that had been used and headed up to their own beds.

A/N: I don't know how different Tokyo Disney is from our Disneyland and Disney World, so I'm saying it's the same basic thing. Oh, guess what I realized a few days ago? I've got a timeline now! Two stories following the same alternate universe creates a timeline, right? Right? If so, I've got my own timeline! YAY! I've always wanted one… always being the last two years. (That's about the time I started getting into fanfics)

[1] – I don't know what the Japanese translation of 'Mommy' is. 'Kaasan' translates to 'mother' as far as I know, but I don't know if it's used for other, less formal, ways of addressing mothers as well. Same as Tousan and Daddy.

[2] – For my purposes in this story, he can do that.


	8. Nightmares, or Memories?

A/N: Thanks to time, Dragon Shadow4, Anime the Fallen Angel, KyraEnsui, taking back Sunday, Manx16, mick, and Kyra2 for the reviews! To Manx16, if you like my use of other characters, read the stories by Berserker Nightwitch. Characters rarely used or almost never mentioned! But anyway, yeah. Here's the story, please enjoy!

"Spoken"

'Thoughts'

****

Telepathy

"Shh… It's okay. Ran, it's _okay_." Knight held the trembling body close to him as he walked back and forth across the living room. They had been back from Disney for about three days before Ran had gotten to the age of two. It had been four months since that time, and Ran hadn't changed since. The Kritiker agents didn't know whether they should be grateful or not. On the positive side, he wasn't a baby; on the negative side, they had been dealing with a two-year-old for the past four months.

Earlier that night, Ran had woken up the house screaming from a nightmare. It had been three hours, and the toddler was still crying. "Schuldich, please just go into his head and see what it is that's keeping him screaming." Yuushi was desperate by that time to quiet the sobbing child. He almost cried in relief when Schuldich finally agreed.

****

Rannie? What is it? What's the matter? Schuldich got images of the man that had attacked Ran in a bizarre order. **Ahh…** "He had a nightmare about that man again. It scared him because this time Ken wasn't there to wake him up." 

Since Ken was sharing a room with Ran, it made since that he would wake Ran up after the child's nightmares. Unfortunately for everyone, Ken was away for a mission. He had had to travel, so he couldn't be expected back for another day or so. When there was no comforting presence next to him, Ran had gotten scared all over again.

They finally got the toddler to quiet down and go back to sleep. He fell asleep in an emptied dresser drawer from the room Queen was staying in. Everyone stood around him and just watched him sleep for a few minutes before exhaustion crept in and they went to their own beds.

"Hey, I'm back!"

"Kenken!" Ken braced himself when he heard the squeal, and, sure enough, was attacked by a redheaded ball of energy less than a minute later. "Kenken's back!" Ran yelled to the house. However, very few actually heard it since Ran's head was still buried in Ken's pant leg.

"Yeah, I'm back. Come here." Ken squatted down and picked the chibi up, flinging the child over his shoulder as he started for the stairs. Ran's squeals of delight were heard across the entire house. Ken had reached the top of the stairs before encountering anyone else.

"Welcome back," Schuldich greeted, peeling Ran off of Ken's neck.

"Thanks. I take it he missed me?"

"If you think you're getting a welcome, you should have seen Farfarello's welcome home yesterday."

"Oh?"

"He brought C-O-O-K-I-Es."

"Why are you spelling it?"

"He knows that word, and he'll demand one."

"So tell him no."

"And get those giant eyes? No way. Even I'm not that masochistic." 

"Are you sure?"

"That's Farfie."

"He would do that?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Hey Omittchi. What's with the cake?" Yohji asked, walking into the room and seeing a giant cake on the table.

"Don't touch it Yohji-kun. Naru and I spent the entire day making it perfect!"

"Okay." Yohji immediately withdrew his hand from the tempting icing. "But what's it for? It's past most of our birthdays, and Ran's isn't for another month."

"Tomorrow is our one month anniversary as an eight-member team!"

"You paid attention to the day?"

"Of course I did! It's very important to all of us!"

"Why'd you ask Naru to help?"

"Ran's two, and Reiichi was giving Ran a bath. They're the only other ones who can cook."

"I didn't know Naru could cook."

"I bake better than I cook," Naru informed the blond playboy as he entered the kitchen. "When are you going to present it, Omi?"

"As soon as we've eaten dinner."

"And when will that be?" Yohji inquired, making a face when his stomach growled.

"As soon as Reiichi's done giving Ran his bath and cooks it."

"He finished the bath an hour ago."

"Then what's taking so long?"

"He's trying to catch Ran."

"…?"

"You know how toddlers like to run around the house after their baths? Usually naked… "

"Yeah… "

"Yeah."

"Oh. Where's everyone else?"

"The rest of Weiss is in the shop, Queen and Masato are on a mission, and Yuushi went for a walk."

At that moment, Yohji reached down and scooped something up. The something began squealing, and Naru and Omi realized it was Ran. Reiichi followed behind him, panting.

"I've been chasing that child for an hour."

"At least now you don't have to dry him off," Yohji pointed out. Reiichi tilted his head in agreement and took the squirming child from Yohji's grip. 

"I'll be back."

Later that day, everyone was back in the Weiss apartment. Dinner had been made and consumed, and Omi and Naru were in the kitchen, doing the finishing touches for the cake. Yohji and Reiichi were the only two who knew how big they had made the cake, since everyone else had been gone all day.

The talking in the room died down as the two blonds walked into the room, each holding up one side of the cake. Ran started wiggling in Hanae's lap when he saw the mountain of chocolate headed in his general direction. "Calm down, Ran. You'll get some," the redheaded woman whispered to her youngest brother. The chibi immediately slowed his movements, though he was still excited about the cake.

"What's this for?" Schuldich asked.

"Our one year anniversary!"

"Oh, you and Nagi have been together that long?" The redheaded telepath asked sweetly, earning a glare from Omi and a blush and a trip around the room from Nagi. When Schuldich landed back in his chair he smirked. "Anniversary for what? You two are just too easy, though."

"We've been an eight-member team for an entire year now!"

"Really?"

"Well, tomorrow, but I didn't know if I would be able to keep Yohji out of the cake for another five minutes, let alone an entire day."

"How come Yohji knew about it?"

"I didn't have to work today."

"That was excellent!" Queen gushed, leaning back in her chair. Manx murmured an agreement distractedly and Queen looked up. The redheaded woman was busy wiping all the chocolate smudges off of her younger brother's face. The child was alternating between biting at the napkin and moving his face away from her hand.

When Hanae was done, Ran crawled out of her lap and into Farfarello's. The Irishman looked surprised, but he put an arm around the child and let him wrap his arms around Farfie's neck. Both of the women in the room were unable to suppress 'awes' when the child started to fall asleep in the white-haired man's arms.

Once they were sure Ran was asleep, though, the conversation turned to the man and his attacks on Ran. Schuldich finally told the whole story of what had happened in the hotel when they went to Disney, and as he predicted everyone was angry with him for not alerting them to the danger immediately.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted him to have a good time."

"Schuldich, he could have been _killed_! Then how would you feel?" Hanae growled at him. Her tone could have been described as yelling, but the volume was low enough to not wake the toddler.

"I know! But… I don't know… he wanted to go so badly, and then to be there but not be allowed to go… That's just cruel."

"Schu, I know it is, but his life is on the line. It is even here, and he's safer here than in an amusement park!"

Schuldich winced at Brad's tone of voice. The volume woke up Ran, who started crying slightly at the disturbance. Ken got up and headed upstairs. He returned a moment later holding a large brown teddy bear. He handed the toy to Ran and the child cuddled up to it. It made a comic picture: a chibi with a stuffed bear larger than he was trying to both fit on a very slender man's lap. However, having something to hug quieted Ran down and he was asleep again shortly.

"I promise I'll inform you the next time anything happens! I just wanted him to have one day of complete fun."

"I completely understand," Ken surprised everyone by saying. They would have thought he would be the one to argue most. It was, after all, his fiancé they were talking about. "I really wish that you had told us about it, but I agree with your wanting him to have a good time."

"Thanks Kenken."

"So… what are we going to do about this?" Masato asked, bringing everyone back to the topic.

"I don't know about you, but if he so much as touches Ran again in a nightmare I'm going to kill him. Mission or not," Ken snarled, surprising everyone again, this time with his hatred and ferocity towards a man he had never even seen.

"Agreed," Brad announced. Everyone in Weiss voiced their agreement with Ken's idea. Crashers would rather not kill the man, but they would at least take him to Weiss and let _them_ take care of it. Hanae shook her head slightly.

"I would agree with you, but that would make all of you as bad as him. You would all just be common murderers. Are you sure you want that?" Hanae asked. "And you would be assisting in a murder, so you could be charged as accomplices," she told Crashers.

"That's a small price to pay if it means he'll leave Ran alone."

"But if all of you are put in jail, or killed, that will leave Ran alone again."

"So one of us just won't participate," Yohji declared lightly. "I'm voting that the people not helping be Schuldich and Ken."

"Why us?"

"He'll still have his brother, and his love."

"Oh."

"Persia isn't going to like this." [1]

"Oh well. Persia isn't related to Ran, and he doesn't have the ties and the bonds we share with Ran."

After a few more hours of discussion and arguing, Manx had to leave, and Weiss and Crashers went to bed. There were no more surprises that night, but once again there was an unnoticed figure listening from the alley beside the apartment. The man smirked as he heard their plans.

"They will not be getting me. I will have my Orchid."

A/N: Yeah, this one was short. It's about half the size of the last two. This is just where it wanted to end, and who am I to argue with the muses?

Schu: Exactly!

Elfsong: What are you doing here?

Knight: Helping you ask for reviews.

Elf: Shouldn't you be working on the next chapter?

Knight: Why would we do that?

Elf: Maybe because you're the muses!

Schu: We are?

Knight: *looks down at nametag* 'Knight – Muse #3' I guess so.

Schu: *looking at his own tag* 'Mastermind – Muse #2'. So who's the first muse?

Ran: Why am I still a child?

Knight: _You're_ the top muse?

Ran: Apparently.

Elf: Guys, please.

Knight: Why is Ran first?

Elf: I liked him best first. Then I started to like Schu after I used him as a muse in _Family Secrets_. I only started liking you after I watched _Glühen_.

Schu: Really makes you feel loved, doesn't it?

Ran: Bakas.

Elf: Exactly. *turns to screen* Please review. It might actually get those two to be quiet for a little while! *indignant squawks heard in background* Let me know what you think so far!

[1] – We'll say hat Shuichi Takatori is still Persia-he's not dead! He LIVES!!!


	9. Babysitting a Toddler

"Your target is a man named Kekkan Jootai. He was in prison the past year and a half for murder, rape, assault, and child molestation," the deep voice spoke over the screen. While he spoke, pictures of a man were shown on the giant TV. [1] "You know him best as the man who attacked Abyssinian when he was known as Red Rook in Crashers. White Hunters, deny this dark beast his tomorrow."

"With pleasure," Schuldich growled. Only one day had passed since Weiss and Crashers had told Manx where they stood concerning the man. She had said she would talk to Persia, but they hadn't thought the mission would come up so soon.

"Just for the sake of routine," Manx started. "Are you all in?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Yohji questioned, his voice incredulous.

"As I said: for the sake of routine. I take it that that is a yes?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Rannie, be good for Crashers, okay?"

"Hai!" the tiny voice chirped. Schu looked over to Reiichi.

"Do you think you can handle it?"

"There are five of us, and we're watching a single two-year-old. I think we'll be fine."

"If you say so. He's got a lot of energy, though."

"Nagi, we've been here the past five months, too."

"Is it really July already?" Omi asked, walking into the entryway from his room.

"Yes it is. And tomorrow is Rannie's… okay, is it third or twenty-first?"

"If you're counting the number of years he's been alive, twenty one."

"So we're using twenty-one candles?"

"No, we're using three tomorrow."

"But… You said… "

"We'll discuss this more later tonight. For right now, though, we have to leave." Omi turned around and counted heads. "FARFARELLO!!!! GET DOWN HERE!" the boy screamed. Farfie jumped over the banister of the upstairs living room and landed at the bottom of the stairs.

"Don't jump down like that, Farf. You'll give the children ideas," Nagi told him, glaring pointedly at Yohji, Schu, Naru, Ken, and Yuushi.

"Can we go now? This will be an interesting night, _if_ we leave soon enough to get to the man."

"Oh, did you get a vision, Bradley?"

"Yes I did, and don't call me that."

"I'm only calling you by your name," Schuldich insisted sweetly. He then received a smack to the head.

"Don't be stupid," Brad admonished.

"I didn't do anything!" Schu protested.

"Remember it later."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Be careful! Come back soon!" Naru waved as he ushered the assassins out the door. When they had all gotten outside and into Hachi (which is what they named the eight-seater van they got after Schwarz joined them) Naru shut the door, and immediately regretted it.

"KENKEN!! SCHUUUUU!!" One small chibi screamed. Ken and Schuldich immediately rushed back inside, told the child a quick goodbye, and rushed back into the van. Ran sniffled awhile longer, looking expectantly at the door.

"Rannie? What are you doing?" Masato asked, squatting down next to the redhead. Ran looked up at the man seated next to him.

"Waiting."

"For what?"

"Kenken and Schu-niichan."

"It'll be awhile before they get back. Why don't you help me finish off last night's cake while we wait, okay?"

"Hai!"

"I cannot believe you let him have a piece _that BIG_!" Masato winced as Queen shouted in his face. He had given ran a piece of cake that was about the size of a tea saucer. The child had loved it, and Masato hadn't known any better, so they saw nothing wrong. Until, however, Ran finished the cake and ended with a massive sugar rush. Reiichi had begun the reprimanding, and Queen had taken over after Reiichi lost his voice.

Now Reiichi was gargling salt water to regain his voice, Queen was beginning to go hoarse, Masato had cowered into a corner from all the yelling, and Yuushi and Naru were still chasing Ran around, trying to catch him. Ran had, by that point, been running from them for roughly an hour, and all three were beginning to get worn out. Masato suspected they wold have traded culprits, except Yuushi and Naru rarely yelled at Masato, and Queen had yet to figure out how to run at any speed in those tight skirts she insisted on wearing.

Said blue-haired woman was quickly running out of voice, leading Masato to suspect that he would be able to skulk to his room shortly and hide out in there for the rest of the evening. His plan was shot when he saw Reiichi pulling out a few Halls cough drops and popping them into his mouth. Masato groaned. Time to shift authority figures again. He just hoped Weiss were having a better time than he was.

"I thought you said he'd be here?"

"Calm down, Ken. We've only been here ten minutes. He'll show," Yohji whispered reassuringly. Everyone was anxious to have a piece at the man – Kekkan Jootai – that night. They would kill him, all right, just not before they made him pay for what he had done to Ran.

Just as Ken was starting to fidget again Kekkan appeared. The pictures they had seen at the mission debriefing could almost have been of a different man. The man from the pictures had been stick-thin, and well groomed. He was tall, with a strong presence. While the man was still tall and commanding, he had let his appearance go. He had a beard that was at least a month old, and shaggy black hair that fell past his shoulders. His brown eyes were piercing and shifty, leading Weiss to believe that he was expecting danger of some sort. He had also gained weight. The waif-like creature from the pictures had grown to an oversized figure, and very little of it was muscle.

Kekkan Jootai was wearing a pair of worn and torn brown cargo pants and a sweater that was so covered in holes that the black T-shirt he wore underneath was clearly visible. His shoes were old sneakers that had definitely seen better days – they looked as if they could be as old as Kekkan himself. However, Weiss did not let his appearance change their opinion of the man. He had attacked, scared, and hurt Ran too many times to let the fact that he was poor affect them in the least.

With a deafening shriek of anger Ken jumped out of his hiding place and attacked the man. He kept his claws retracted, knowing that if they were out the man would die too soon for any of them. Schuldich was the second out of hiding, though he focused primarily on the man's psyche. He uprooted, then displayed, all of the man's worst and most feared memories. He twisted the happy and pleasant ones around to torment his brother's attacker. In short, Kekkan was receiving both physical and mental torture. And then Farfarello joined the fight.

"Can we color?"

"Sure. Do you know where the crayons are?"

"Hai!"

"Have fun," Queen rasped. The cough drops had helped, but after an hour and a half of chewing Masato out, her voice was almost nonexistent. Her only relief was that Ran didn't seem to have a stomachache. That, and the fact that he had finally been caught and calmed down.

"Are you gonna color, too?" Ran asked, walking back into the room with a box of washable markers. Queen shook her head, too tired to even answer him verbally. "'Kay."

After less than five minutes had gone by, Kekkan Jootai was wishing for death. He was also beginning to wish he had left the boy alone when he escaped from prison. He would still be healthy now if he had. He had time to think on this between being stabbed, shot at, slashed, cut, kicked, punched, mentally attacked, mocked, and thrown against the wall. He also managed a moment to note that when he was thrown against the wall, no one had picked him up. The air had just pushed him against the wall, seemingly of it's own accord.

And still the attack continued. Schuldich had begun to shoot his target in random places while messing with his thoughts and memories – but only in places like the legs and arms, places that would not be fatal immediately. Ken had begun to use his bugnuks by the time twenty minutes had rolled around. Farfarello was taking out all of his insanity upon the man, and Nagi was using his gift to hold the man down sometimes, and heal certain wounds at other times.

****

Nagi? Why are you healing him?

Concentrate on him, Schu, not me.

First tell me why.

It'll keep him alive longer.

Does that mean that if I shoot him in the head you could heal him?

Only if I finished before he had a chance to die. I wouldn't recommend it.

A sharp moan took both of their attention back to the pathetic excuse for a human in front of them. He was trying to get away, though with all of them attacking him, he couldn't do more than raise himself slightly. And they still continued attacking him.

"RAN! What did you do?" Yuushi yelled. The toddler looked up at him with giant, tear-filled eyes. He had thought Yuushi would like his artwork. He had drawn everyone in it. There was Yuushi-niisan in blue, Masato-niisan in red, Queen-neesan in purple, Naru-niisan in orange, and Reiichi-niisan in green. Schu-niisan was in red, too. Farfie-niisan was in orange, Omi-niisan and Yohji-niisan were in blue, Nagi-niisan and Brad-niisan were in purple, and Kenken was in green.

"Colored. You're pretty!"

"Ran… why did you color on the walls?"

"'Cause. None of the papers were big enough."

"Ran, you can't draw on the walls."

"Why?"

"It's wrong. Coloring is for paper!"

"Sorry." Ran's voice was tiny and downcast. Yuushi bent over and picked him up, hugging him tightly.

"I'm not mad at you, Rannie, but Reiichi and Queen will be mad at me."

"Sorry."

"That's okay, we'll figure something out."

They managed to draw out his torture for three hours. However, after that time, they couldn't take it any more. Ken had slashed through his chest at the same time that Schuldich shot him through the head. Neither cared who had the killing blow, so long as it was one of them. Everyone else was fine with that, too.

They headed back to the Koneko apartments much quieter than they had left. They had just gotten rid of all of their pent-up frustrations and anger on the man that had caused most of it. Also, everyone had turned his thoughts towards the man-turned-toddler waiting for them. They couldn't wait until he got older again so that they could tell him that the threat was over. Permanently.

"Can we play now?"

"What do you want to play?" Yuushi asked. Ran's boundless energy had worn them all down, even Naru, who seemed to have a near endless supply of energy himself.

"Pillows!" the toddler shouted, flinging a small pillow at the blond Crashers member. Yuushi grinned and tossed it back half-heartedly.

"Why don't you get Naru to play with you?"

"All of you!"

"Oh my."

A/N: Yeah, ending here. Trust me, the next chapter will start bringing it back. It will be longer next time! The man is now dead. Sorry if that section sucked; I'm really bad at writing conflicts. At least, I think I am… Oh well. Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

[1] – First, his name means Defect State or Condition. So basically, his name translates to 'Defective Condition'. Also, has anyone besides me ever wondered why they need such a big TV for seeing who they'll be killing in a few days/hours? I don't think they're ever seen doing anything else with that TV.

I'm trying something a little different this time, so bear with me. Thanks to those who have reviewed for this chapter. Also, if you did review for this chapter and I don't mention it, it's because I uploaded this chapter before getting your review. I'm still infinitely grateful, I just can't make a big deal out of it! So, on with the thanks…

Anime the Fallen Angel: I'm glad you've liked this fic so much. I hope this is soon enough for you. I've been on minimal computer time lately, but that seems to be changing! I hope you enjoy the rest!

Dragon Shadow4: Did you like how I did the fight? I hope I got it good enough for you. I had to give Ken a shot, too. You think this is suspense? Hmm, I've never had my writing described as suspenseful before. Thanks!

KyraEnsui: I'm glad you like it so far! 

Manx16: You gotta leave me an email address! I want to thank you personally, but I can't get ahold of you 'cause you're anonymous. I hope you enjoy those stories; I liked them. Esp. 'My Boys'. Wow! That's two saying I'm writing something suspenseful! Is this quick enough? I hope so. Thanks for the review!

Alright peoples, if you want to see your name listed here (and maybe a personal comment in regards to your review) please review for this chapter quickly so I'll be able to include you. I'm already working out the chapter overview right now, so it shouldn't take too long to write it. (All I have to worry about is my mom commenting on how much time I'm spending online and on the computer in general lately! ^^) Of course, if I don't get a lot of reviews for the next chapter (four is a small number people) I might wait awhile before uploading the next one. I'm no trying to bribe you or whatever it is, I'm just saying that it's kinda depressing to write a chapter and then have very few comments on it. Of course, that could be my fault, too. Too impatient to see what you guys think to wait more than a day before uploading the next chappie… Eh. Please review!


	10. Regeneration

A/N: Thanks all for the reviews! That was a lot more than last time! Thankies! Here's the new chappie!

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

Telepathy __

Singing

"So when he gets older will he be glad we killed the man, or upset that we didn't wait and let Ran kill the jerk himself?"

"It depends on the mood he's in when we tell him."

"What makes you say that Kenken?"

"It's not that difficult to figure out. Once you know Ran it's really easy!"

"Are you saying I don't know him?" Omi demanded, a little upset.

"Of course not. Have you ever really paid attention to his moods though? And I don't mean 'Oh, he's angry; better not mess with him', or 'Wow, I think he smirked at me. He must be in a great mood!' I mean really paid attention to how he's feeling and acting?"

"If I did that you'd kill me."

"Would not!"

"Someone spending enough time to fully understand the intricacies that make up your fiancé? Yeah, you would."

"Fine, fine."

"I hate to brake up the argument when it's about to resolve itself, but we'll be going inside soon, and you two might want to keep your voices down when that happens," Brad interrupted monotonously.

Ken and Omi quieted down and followed the others inside. They were just getting home from their mission to kill Kekkan Jootai. Yohji pushed open the door and stopped.

"Come on, Kudou, keep moving."

"Shut up, Farf. Something happened here."

"What makes you say that, Yohji?" Nagi asked form near the back of the group. Yohji turned his head to see the teenager. When he had eye contact he explained.

"Well, there are blankets, crumbs, pillows, Tupperware, silverware, and markers all over the floor. Oh, and there's Ran's bear."

"Any sign of the chibi and his babysitters?"

"Not yet."

Everyone made it through the door before the full search had begun. After the entire downstairs had been checked meticulously the seven assassins headed upstairs. The stairs were an even bigger mess than the downstairs had been. There were blurs of color coating the walls, and it looked like they had been scrubbed to clean them. Schuldich laughed when he thought of how upset Crashers must have been to learn about that habit. He had forgotten that coloring on walls was a thing with every child in his family, and apparently so had Hanae. They reached the second floor and found it in the same condition as the first.

The people in question were found immediately upon reaching the top floor. All six were spread out over the living room, asleep. Naru had fallen asleep on one of the love seats, and Reiichi was asleep leaning against the table. Omi and Nagi both winced in sympathy at what the older man would feel in his neck and back when he woke up. Queen was stretched out between the coffee table and the couch. On the couch was Yuushi, who was spread across all three cushions. On his stomach was Ran. The toddler was lying on his own stomach on top of the blond man. All in all it was a cute scene.

"Should we wake them? I know that Reiichi at least would thank us."

"Kenken? Schu-niichan?" Both men turned at the sleepy mumble and found a blurry-eyed chibi staring at them and raising his arms to be picked up. Schuldich smiled and walked over to the couch, avoiding Reiichi, Queen, and Yuushi in the process. He picked the child up and Ran immediately put his head on his brother's shoulder and fell back to sleep.

"I'll put him to bed. If you think we should wake them up, then go ahead. They're the ones who fell asleep out here, so I see no reason for them to stay. Except Reiichi, he was probably working on something before he fell asleep." Schuldich then headed to Ran and Ken's room, Ken following.

The others exchanged looks, and tried to wake the Crashers team. Luckily it was fairly easy. Naru refused to do more than grumble at them and fall back to sleep, so they had to carry him downstairs and to his bed. The others woke up with more dignity and headed to their rooms on their own. Then Weiss said goodnight and each headed to his own bed.

"So, why are we only using three candles?" Yuushi asked. Omi and Naru looked up from the cake they were putting the finishing designs on. It had only taken about two hours to make the cakes. One was big enough for fourteen people to share, and the other was personalized for a toddler. Persia had been invited to the party, and Omi had been informed of what had happened the night before after Ran had received a piece too large for him. Somehow or another Ran hadn't gotten sick from it.

"Because he doesn't have enough lung power to blow out twenty-one candles at once. Besides, too many candles could be dangerous."

"How?"

"What if he shoves his face into the cake again?"

"He did that?"

"Yuushi! That was _your_ birthday party!" Naru reminded him.

"Oh yeah… "

Omi shook his head and continued making swirls on the cake with the frosting. He was almost finished, but he didn't want anyone else walking in a taking a swipe of the frosting from the cake. Yuushi had done that, and gotten the job of cleaning all the dishes that night. They had more chores to do, but that wasn't near enough of a punishment for ruining the cakes Omi and Naru had been working on for so long.

"Why do you want a large number of candles so badly?"

"Well, technically he's turning twenty-one, and it's unfair to not let him have the full number of candles. We'd be gypping him of his candles."

"Yuushi, the last time we were present on his birthday we didn't even know it was his birthday."

"I know! And what kind of rotten friends would we be if we did that twice?"

"Calm down Yuushi. When he returns to his normal age we'll have another birthday party for him; this time with the correct number of candles."

"Hey, do you think he'll actually be three after today?"

"What do you mean?" Omi asked, looking up for the first time and looking Naru in the eye.

"Well, do you think the chemical will let him get older on his birthday? I mean, will he stay two even though he's got three candles? 'Cause the candles aren't what make the person older; that's just a representation of the age. So he could still be two even though we're calling him three, and- "

"Naru, stop. Breathe," Yuushi instructed, interrupting his younger team member. Naru took a breath out of reflex and then glared when the blond started laughing.

"Yuushi?" he said sweetly.

"What?" Yuushi managed to say around his laughter. Omi hid a smirk at the older man's naivete.

"Get out of this kitchen!" Naru then shooed the older man out with a broom. All three were laughing by the time Yuushi finally made it out of the kitchen.

__

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Ra~an! Happy birthday to you!"

"And many more!" Schuldich and Yohji finished. Ran laughed in delight, and then his eyes lit up. He had found the cake. After that it was nearly impossible to keep him occupied while the cakes were set up and the candles lit. He blew out the candles quickly – a spit-blow – and went on the eating. [1]

"Ooh, wow! Who gave you that?" Yohji asked, recognizing the outfit Reiichi had picked out. Everyone had bought Ran two gifts each. One of the gifts he was receiving then. The other set were for when he returned to his own age – if he returned to his own age at all. The first set of gifts was designated for a toddler and the other for an adult.

Ran was sitting in Hanae's lap while she 'helped' him get the wrapping paper off of the gifts. [2] He had received a large number of toys, along with one or two outfits and more practical gifts. When the gifts were opened, they all played games.

After 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' – which they let Ran win – they went outside and shot each other and passing cars with water guns. The games were slowed down and made easier for Ran's sake, but other than that, they were played the same as any other party involving assassins, psychics, and other secret organization agents and leaders would be played. After a few more hours the party started slowing down.

Ran was starting to get tired, and none of the adults had much more energy to spare, so the party came to an end. Ran was put to bed and the adults said goodbye to the 'guests' for him. When everyone had left the others all took their showers and headed to bed, thankful for the fact that Ran had had a good day.

About two weeks later nothing had changed. Crashers had been given a mission, as had most of Weiss. Brad had foreseen that he wasn't needed on the mission, so he volunteered to stay home and babysit Ran. He only hoped that he would do a better job at it than Crashers had.

The night went smoothly until it was time for Ran's bath. He was still too little to bathe himself, so Brad was bathing him. Brad was in the middle of washing his hair when he had to turn his back on the toddler for a moment. When he turned back he couldn't be sure, but it looked as though Ran had started to get bigger. He shrugged it off as his imagination getting the better of him – too much time with Schuldich and Yohji.

Then he realized that Ran was still getting bigger. He got up to get a towel, deciding that bath time had lasted long enough. He turned back to the tub and saw a ten-year-old sitting in the tub, blushing as red as his hair. "Ran?" The child looked up at Brad and blushed even redder. He seemed to be trying to hide his entire body behind his arms. Brad began to blush as well and held the towel out to the child, turning to face away from Ran so the child could get himself covered.

"Um… do I… know you?" Ran asked after drying off and wrapping the towel securely around his waist. Brad turned back around to face the redheaded child. The boy's violet eyes were wide with fear, embarrassment, and childish innocence. He also looked worried about something.

"Yes, we're actually really good friends."

"Then why don't I remember you?"

"You were in an accident, and that's effecting your memory."

"Oh. Who are you? Why am I here instead of with Kaasan and Tousan?"

"Tousan? I thought you called him Kouga?"

"He wants me to call him Tousan in front of people. How do you know?"

"You told me about it awhile ago. Come on, let's get you something to wear." Ran smiled gratefully and followed the precog into the bedroom Omi, Nagi, and Naru were still sharing. As he walked he told Ran everything he could about the situation, leaving out things like where the boy's parents were and what he was doing in the Koneko apartments. He also left out the fact that Schuldich was Ran's older brother, deciding that it would be better for everyone if Schuldich or Hanae told him.

"So… there are thirteen other people that live here?"

"Well, not quite. There's you, Yohji, Schuldich, Ken, Farfarello, Nagi, Omi, and me. Queen, Reiichi, Masato, Yuushi, and Naru are only visiting. They've been here the past couple of months. Hanae comes to visit from time to time, but she lives close enough that she doesn't have to stay over when she wants to see us."

"Wait, you said that I live here?"

"It'll be explained to you later. I'm not authorized to tell you about that."

"Hanae… that name sounds really familiar. Where have I heard that name before?" The last sentence was mumbled softly, but Brad still managed to hear it.

"I believe it has something to do with Kouga and your mother."

"You know?"

"Yes, but it's one of those things I can't tell you."

"Have I eaten yet today?"

"Not a lot. You refused to eat very much tonight. Why? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little. Um… what should I call you?"

"Well, for the past few weeks you've called me Brad-niisan, but just Brad will work from now on. The others feel the same way, but you can ask them, too if you feel like it."

"Okay. Um… Brad-san?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any Raman?"

"Yes," Brad responded, then he began chuckling. No matter what age Ran was, he seemed to have a thing with Raman noodles. For that matter, so did Schu and Hanae.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just that you've asked for Raman every meal for the past two months."

"I've been here that long?"

"Um… a little longer actually, but you'd better let Schuldich explain that to you."

"Is this more of that stuff you can't tell me about?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Ran shrugged his shoulders, then reached up to adjust the collar of the shirt he was wearing. At the age of ten, Ran was still just a little too small for the older clothes of Omi and Nagi. What was a T-shirt with a small collar for them was slipping off of Ran's shoulders. Apparently, Ran was a thin, bony child. "That's fine. Do you have the chicken flavored kind?"

"I think so… "

"Hey, we're home! Oh, Ran didn't wait up for us tonight?"

"I need to tell you guys something."

"Just a second, Brad. How's Ran?"

"That's what I need to tell you about."

"What? What happened? Is he okay? Was he hurt?"

"No, he's fine! When I was giving him his bath tonight he kind of… grew up."

"What do you mean?"

"When he went to bed earlier he was about ten years old."

"Wow. Eight years in only a few hours? If he keeps that up he'll be back to his normal age by tomorrow!"

"Ken, this is serious!"

"How? This is great! He's returning to his normal age!"

"And he can't remember any of us or what he's doing here."

"Uh-oh."

"Schu? Why's that bad?"

"He's older now. We can't just trick him into thinking his parents left him with a bunch of complete strangers. We're going to have to find a real explanation for where his parents and sister are. And we'll have to find an excuse for why he can't remember any of us even though he's been staying with us for five months."

"I told him he was in an accident that's effecting his memory."

"Well, that _is_ mostly the truth," Queen said, coming up behind the assassins.

"When did you guys get home?"

"Just now. Masato and Yuushi are arguing about what they'll have for dinner, Naru is on the computer, and I believe Reiichi is writing up the report for King."

"We might want to tell them to keep it down. I don't know if you heard that part, but Ran is sleeping."

"I figured that since I didn't hear any yelling he must be. Don't worry, I already warned them."

"Good. Now, what are we going to tell Ran about his family?" Farfarello asked.

"I vote we just wait until he's old enough to remember it himself."

"Yohji! What if he gets back to his real age and still can't remember? Or if he stays at this age for awhile? If that happens, you're going to have to deal with his questions."

"Yohji raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Calm down, Omittchi! I wasn't really serious."

"Can we deal with this later?" Nagi asked around a yawn.

"Good idea," Masato spoke up, startling everyone in the room. They looked over and saw the man leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. "It's getting late, and we'll be able to deal with this better if we've slept on the problem. And before you ask, Queen, yes, I've eaten. Yuushi's already headed to bed, and I'm sure Naru will, too, once the other two get in there."

"You're feeling talkative tonight," Yohji quipped.

"Shut up, Yohji."

"RAN! It's time to get up!"

The redhead grumbled inaudibly and shifted slightly in his bed. When another yell didn't come immediately, he gave up the pretense and fell back to sleep. Ken walked into the room and rolled his eyes at the sight of a seventeen-year-old Ran, still sleeping soundly, his shoulder length hair fanning around his face. Even as a teenager Ran hadn't grown out of the habit of sleeping on his stomach. Ken mused that sleeping on his back must have become a habit after his family's death.

The brunette walked quietly over to where Ran was sleeping, slightly surprised that Ran wasn't waking up. The redhead awoke whenever anyone came into the room he was sleeping. When he reached the head of the bed he grabbed two handfuls of the pillow Ran was using. Then, while yanking the pillow away, he shouted, " RAN! Wake up!" Ran sat up in the bed, his violet eyes opened wide in shock and fear. Then he turned and saw Ken.

"You," he growled. Ken had time to notice that his glare wasn't half as deadly or scary when he was younger. Then the teenager jumped at him, and chased Ken all over the house. By the time Ken gave up and Ran caught him no one remembered why it was so important that Ran be woken up at that time in the first place.

When he heard that, the redhead grumbled and headed back upstairs to the room he still shared with Ken. He came back down a few minutes later dressed for the day. He had changed out of his sleepwear – an oversized T-shirt and boxers – into a pair of blue jeans and a dark red T-shirt that was more form fitting. Ken was having trouble deciding which made him want Ran back to his normal age more.

It was about three weeks after Ran had started getting older again. He had slowly begun to age, growing only about a year every three days. They had tried to convince him that he really didn't want to know what had happened to his family, and he had eventually accepted it. They had been grateful – until he told them that the next time he asked they had better tell him. After spending over three years with him, the original Weiss knew what could happen when he got his mind set on something. After a year the former Schwarz members were beginning to get a good idea, and Crashers had their own previous experiences to deal with. In short: Every person in the Koneko apartments was dreading the time when he would ask again.

Ran had begun working in the Koneko again, but he stayed in the back of the shop, trusting the others that he didn't want to expose himself to the rabid creatures also known as fangirls. He also had the horror stories the others had told him to keep him hidden. Farfarello's story in particular scared him. From what he gathered about the incident, a girl had choked the Irishman almost to death when she had hugged him. He had tried to get away without attacking her, but she wrapped her entire body around his. There were also about a million stories where one or another of the workers had been groped. Ran shuddered and hardened his resolve to stay hidden.

The flower shop was closed for two hours for lunch, so at eleven all of the workers headed next door for their meal and a break. After everyone had sat down at the table, Ran looked up and asked the dreaded question. "Where are my parents and sister?"

Omi and Nagi both choked. Schuldich, Brad, and Farfarello looked ashamed and about ready to kill themselves. Ken, Yohji, and Yuushi grimaced. Masato and Reiichi suddenly found the ceiling and floor very interesting, and Queen looked like she was about to cry. After a few moments of silence, Schuldich cleared his throat roughly.

"Can we wait until the meal is over? That's not really something that should be told over lunch." Ran nodded, and resumed eating. The entire table was subdued for the rest of the meal.

After the meal, Schuldich, Ken, and Queen sat down with Ran in the downstairs living room. Schuldich was about to start when Hanae walked in. Ran smiled at her. Hanae smiled baxk and turned her attention to Schuldich.

"Yohji called me. I'm here if you need any help."

"I've managed it before."

"He already knew the most of it at that time."

"True."

"Um… Hello? I'm sorry, but could you please not talk about me like I'm not here?"

"Sorry Ran. It's just that… this is difficult," Schuldich managed to say. Ran looked at the people gathered in the room in confusion.

"What's so hard about it?"

"Can I just have a second to collect my thoughts please?" Schuldich snapped. Ran's eyes opened wider and he nodded, shrinking farther into the couch. Schuldich winced at his reaction. "I'm sorry, Rannie, but this really isn't easy to say." Ran nodded, but didn't relax.

"Ran, you've been here for three weeks that you remember, correct?" Hanae asked.

"Yeah."

"And in that time you've… experienced some changes."

"Like growing up really fast."

"Right. The thing is… when I met you, you were eighteen."

"How?"

"That's part of what we need to explain."

"I just want to know where my parents and Aya-chan are."

Schuldich winced again and rubbed his head. "This is giving me a headache."

"Do you need Tylenol or Aspirin or something?" Ran asked, getting up and heading to the kitchen. Schuldich shook his head and Ran sat back down.

"I'm immune to all those headache medicines. I've taken them too much in my life." Ran continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer to his question. "Listen Ran, this is difficult for me, and there's no easy way to put it. I'm sorry in advance for how callous this will sound, but they're all dead."

"SCHULDICH!"

"Dead? How… ? They were… What do you… How can they be dead?" Ran finally managed to ask. Schuldich just shook his head, tears running down his face.

"I'm so sorry, Rannie. I am so sorry."

"They were in an accident. The house exploded while they were inside it. You and your sister were at a carnival, so you weren't killed. However, after the explosion, a car hit your sister. She was in a coma for about a week before she died as well."

"Why didn't I do something? Why can't I _remember_ it!?"

"That has to do with your aging. You couldn't do anything because the debris from the house was trapping you. You can't remember because technically it will be another year before you have that memory."

"What are you talking about?"

"You work for an organization called Kritiker. It is your job to get the people the law is unable to touch for one reason or another. On one of your missions a chemical was spilt on you, causing you to get younger. About three weeks ago you finally started getting older again."

"So how old am I supposed to be now?"

"Last July was your twenty-first birthday."

"Yeah, okay. Sure. Now tell me the f****** truth!"

"That is the truth! Why would we lie to you like that? Huh? Do you think I _WANT_ to see you upset?"

"How should I know? I don't even know why you _care_!"

"Because it's my job! I have a right to care about you!"

"Says who?"

"Our father!"

"What are you talking about!?"

"Kouga isn't your father! My father is! You're my brother; I'm allowed to care!"

"That's a load of bull! Tell you what, when you're ready to tell the TRUTH, come and find me! Until then, stay the h*** away from me!"

Ran then stormed out of the room, his anger visible on his face. Schuldich sat down, trembling. He didn't remember getting up, or when he and Ran had started yelling instead of talking, but that wasn't what was making him shake. His little brother had just rejected him. Ran had spent his entire time during the effects of that chemical, and for a few months before that, loving him. And now, because he had handled that wrong, his brother hated him.

A/N: How'd you like it? Was it good? Bad? Somewhere in between? I'm sorry I ended it like that, but my muses were begging me to leave it like that. The next chapter will be the last one, so there's a couple questions for this one. First is will Ran ever believe what Schuldich told him? Will he leave Weiss because of this? Is the wedding still on? You have to review to get me to continue! (and yes, I already know the answers to each question. Hehehe… )

To those of you who have read (and reviewed) to 'Family Secrets', you know how this one goes. You review for THIS CHAPTER and leave your email address (or give a signed review and let me go through the trouble of finding your email address via ff.net bios) and I'll send you a cookie!

[1] – You know how kids blow out their candles. They seem to spit all over the candle to get the flame out. Or is that just _my_ little cousins that do that?

[2] – I love little kids, can you tell? They're such adorable little monsters! But anyway, if you've ever been exposed to them, you'll know that when they're as little as Ran is in this, they need someone else to take apart all the wrapping paper. Then you let the child pull off the last little shred, making the kid think that he's unwrapped it himself. (Or herself, sorry!)

Thanks to:

Dragon Shadow: I'm glad to liked the fight! Did this one live up to the last one? I'm really bad at verbal fights! I did email you, and now it's your turn!

KyraEnsui: Not as much of those two in this, but I hope you still liked it.

Koji-chan: Thanks for reviewing! I get lazy like that too! I agree wholeheartedly! I've been searching all over the internet, and I still can't find more than one or two fics with Crashers! V_V If you ever find any, let me know?

Yami Aibou: Glad you're still liking it! Was this good?

Bombay Kitty: You read the first one, too? Neat! I'm glad you liked it enough to read this one!

Kyra2: Yeah, I was getting anxious to have him killed off, too. I'm basing chibi-Ran off of my cousins and other little kids I spend time with! I love them all!

Brad: Look! It's an update! Please don't be depressed! I don't like being the cause of someone's depression… And don't worry, the next chapter should be coming soon. (and even sooner depending on the number of reviews I get. I don't ask for a particular number because the last time I did that I had to wait three months for the correct number. By the time I had gotten them all I had lost interest in the story! *v.v*)

Anime the Fallen Angel: The fight only lasted that long because Nagi kept healing the guy. It is kinda freaky, but they were really angry at the time, and they were also upset about the chemical's effects on Ran. Not to mention the fact that the man put a bomb in a teddy bear. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you liked this chapter, too!


	11. Friends and Weddings

"Yeah, we'll miss you, too!"

"Come back soon, okay? You won't forget us?"

"How could we forget you? You'll have to visit us sometime, too!"

"Deal!"

"I wish Ran was here, though."

"Does anyone have any idea where he is? It's been a few days now, and I'm really beginning to get worried."

"He'll come back when his temper cools down. If he comes home sooner it'll only mean trouble for all of you," Reiichi reassured Weiss. Four days after Ran's argument with Schuldich about his parents Crashers had to get back home. They didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to their former member, but he was still hiding somewhere, sulking. After a final goodbye Crashers piled into their car and pulled out of the driveway.

Just as they were reaching the street Ran appeared behind them. His hair was shorter, barely reaching his neck, and his eyes were just beginning to get narrow. His face was tear-stained, and he had a hard, determined look that Crashers did not miss in the slightest. It was obvious to those gathered that he had reached the point in his growth when the memories of his family's death began.

Ran said a quick apology and a goodbye before running up to Schuldich. He looked the telepath in the face and looked like he was about to say something when he lost his nerve. He rushed into the apartment, and didn't come out again until after dinner.

"Schuldich?" Ran asked tentatively. Schuldich looked up from his book and smiled reassuringly at his younger brother.

"What is it?" Schu asked, laying his book on the table and turning his full attention to the boy in front of him.

"I… Um… I'm really sorry. I should have believed you when you- "

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't have believed me either," Schuldich assured him. He walked over to the younger redhead and gave him a light hug. Ran clung to his brother, sobbing. Schu could do nothing more than hold his brother and try to comfort him, mainly because his own guilt was too much for him to bear. He realized at that moment why his mother named him Schuldich. She had been a precog, like Brad. She must have seen it all play out, and knew it would be the most fitting name for him. [1]

"But you're really my brother though, right?" Ran asked once his tears had subsided. Schu nodded and put his hand on Ran's cheek, smiling down at him.

"Half brother, but yeah, you're still stuck with me." Ran smiled back and leaned into another hug.

"Omi! What is your problem lately?"

"School's starting again soon!"

"Soon as in how soon?"

"As in three days!"

"And you're just now getting everything ready?"

"I didn't realize college needed so much more stuff!"

"I've got all of my stuff together," Nagi commented as he walked into the room.

"That's because you're still in high school!"

"Calm down Omi! It'll be okay! It's not like you'll be staying in a dorm or anything."

"Wait a sec, do you mean it's September already?" Yohji asked from his position slumped over the counter.

"Yes, and Naru will be going to the same school as me!"

"Isn't Naru twenty now?"

"Almost. He had to retake a year in high school because of Crashers."

"That still doesn't put the two of you in the same grade."

"He didn't want to go to college until now."

"Oh." Omi, Nagi, Schuldich, and Yohji were gathered in the kitchen, the latter watching Omi rush around the house getting things together while trying to make lunch. Omi didn't appreciate the humor they saw in it. Farfarello and Brad were in the main dining room with Ran and Ken, discussing the upcoming wedding. Ran was opting for having everyone, females included, wearing tuxedos, but Ken was fighting for dresses on the females. Brad and Farfarello were trying to keep them on other, more pressing concerns. Namely, when and where the wedding would take place.

"Guys, the wedding will have to be soon. You agreed that it would be not long after Ran returned to his normal age. He's been his normal age since early August, and there's still been no wedding. I think Sakura's getting her hopes back up that Ran will marry her."

"Not. Happening," Ran growled. The other three at the table looked at him in shock. "It's not that I have anything against her, I just don't think it would be very good for a marriage if one of the people involved made a habit of stalking the other. Everywhere. I swear I saw her looking in my bathroom window when I first started helping her." The others grimaced, knowing that he was not exaggerating the point. Sakura was a little freaky. 'Little' being an understatement.

"Anyway," Brad steered the conversation back to the topic, "When did you say you wanted it?"

"I think we agreed on sometime in September, right?" Ran asked, looking to his fiancé.

Ken smiled at him. "Yep. And I was thinking we could have it in that park next to the cemetery. And before you say anything, it's not some morbid thing, it's just that the Fujimiyas are buried right against the fence. It'll be like they're watching."

"As romantically creepy as that sounds, Kenken, I'd really rather not."

"Romantically creepy?"

"I don't want Kouga watching my wedding."

"Point taken. Where do you want it?" Ran blushed bright red and mumbled something. Ken leaned closer to him and asked him to repeat it.

"I said, at that cliff looking over the ocean."

"Ooh! That spot is nice! And I don't think anyone's ever been married there!"

"Don't you guys mean 'bonded'?" The four men looked over at the doorway for the source of the voice. Ran's face lit up when he saw whom it was.

"Yuushi!" 

"Yep! We came back to help you get on with wedding preparations. Why is it never referred to as bonding, by the way?"

"It's easier to say 'married' than to remember 'bonding' every time."

"I guess that's true. Do you guys have a date yet?"

"That's what I've been trying to get them to decide on for the past three days," Brad sighed, turning over the job to Yuushi. The blond man pulled out a calendar and held it out in front of the couple.

"Now, both of you close your eyes and twine your hands together. I want your pointer fingers aiming in the same direction." The two did as they were told. "Now point to somewhere in front of you… Okay, you'll be getting married… September 27th. Congratulations, you've set a date." [2]

"Are you sure about this?" Ran asked. Schuldich and Hanae exchanged a look and turned back to their brother.

"Of course. You love each other, right?"

"Yes."

"And you want to get married, right?"

"Yes."

"Then what's left to question?" Ran blushed bright red at the question, but offered no answer.

I don't think it'll be that painful, Rannie. ****

SCHULDICH! That's got nothing to do with it!

"Would you two mind explaining what you're talking about?" Hanae asked. The brothers turned to face her, and gulped simultaneously when they saw he hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face.

"Just making the last question more… private."

"Ran, why don't you give the real reason you're nervous so that Schu will stop teasing you?"

Ran fidgeted with his suit before answering. "What if something goes wrong with the ceremony? What if I get too nervous to go through with it?" Ran's eyes widened in horror as the next thought came to his mind. "What if Ken gets too nervous to go through with it?"

"What if everyone grow fins and flippers at the reception?" Schuldich asked dryly.

"Can that happen?" Ran asked, his face completely white.

"Of course not. Schuldich's just messing with you. Now, Schu, unless you're going to be _helpful_, I suggest you get out."

To the immense relief of both Ran and Ken, and the rest of Weiss and Crashers, the wedding went smoothly, with the song, "Return to Innocence" playing in the background. [3] During the reception, the newly married couple danced to the song "Dearest". [4] The wedding and reception were a hit, and everyone went home happy that evening.

All of Weiss (including the married couple) went back to the Koneko after the reception. It had been decided that they would have the entire top floor as their honeymoon suite, and the others would be doubling up again, at least for that one night. The next morning, however, when the six single Weiss members were sitting at the table eating breakfast, they received a shock.

"What do you mean you're moving?" Nagi asked, struggling to keep from panicking. He hadn't had a lot of stability in his life until he joined Schwarz, and then he got switched to Weiss, and now that stability was threatening to end. Ran, however, caught the look on Nagi's face and smiled gently.

"We'll still be part of Weiss, and I'll still be the 'leader', but we just won't be living here anymore, that's all. There's an apartment we found not far from here where we can still be close by and accessible to you, but we'll also have our privacy." Ken leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder.

"So you're not leaving for good?" Farfarello asked, also somewhat worried about his friends.

"Of course not!" Ken chirped.

"Do either of you know when you'll be moving?" Brad questioned, needing to know all of the details before letting himself get worried.

"We packed most of my things last night, and Ken's things should be packed by this afternoon, so we should be gone by this evening," Ran responded. He didn't mean to make it sound so uncaring, but he was still having trouble with watching his vocal inflections. Besides, after almost three years of only speaking when necessary, and even then only saying what was needed, he found it difficult to say more than what was needed.

"Well," Schuldich forced after a few moments of silence, "can we at least help you pack?"

"Don't worry about it, Rannie. I'll be fine," Schu tried to persuade his brother.

"You keep saying that."

"Then why don't you believe me?"

"Because you still look like you're about to cry."

"I have every right to look like this."

"What makes you say that?"

"Mainly because I've only had my little brother with me for a year, and most of that was spent with either both of us unaware, or you as a toddler. And don't argue with me on that; I'm going to have pictures to prove it as soon as I get the film developed."

"I'm not really leaving, you know."

"Yeah, but now I've got to share you."

"I hate to break it to you, but you've been sharing me this entire time."

"Yeah, but at least then I was sharing you in the same house!" Schu pulled the smaller man closer to him and hugged him tightly. Ran returned the hug, and the stood there for a few minutes, just holding each other. Finally, reluctantly, Ran pulled away.

"We'll only be a few streets over, remember?" Schuldich nodded and pulled Ran into another hug. He released his brother when he looked up and noticed Ken standing in the doorway, his lips pulled upward in a smirk.

"You ready to go, koi?" Ken asked, moving closer to the brothers and putting his arm around Ran's waist. Ran looked to Schuldich once more to make sure he could handle it before nodding, saying one final goodbye, and getting into the car. Schuldich sighed as the car pulled away, then leaned into the warm presence he felt behind him.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"I know." Schuldich turned and clung to Brad's shirt, giving in to the tears that had threatened to spill all day. Brad rubbed his hands in small circles on Schu's back, striving to comfort the distraught telepath.

"Well, it looks like the four of you are going to have that huge, rambling apartment building all to yourselves," Schuldich commented to the two couples in front of him. It was mid-November, and he and Brad were leaving the Koneko apartments. In October, there had been a double wedding: Schuldich and Brad, and Farfarello and Yohji. The latter couple had decided to stay at the Koneko, but the former had agreed with Ran and Ken that it was better to have a place of privacy.

"It's not like it's going to be big for long," Nagi commented.

"Oh?" Schuldich asked. Nagi groaned, knowing exactly where the redhead was heading, and berating himself mentally for not thinking ahead and realizing how that would sound. "Have one of you fallen into some kind of chemical lately? Are we going to have a baby in Weiss?"

"No Schuldich," Yohji replied, stifling his laughter. "But we agreed that Farf and I will have the entire top floor to ourselves, and the chibis will have the bottom floor.

"That works. I wonder how our poor fangirls will take it when they learn that not one of us is single anymore… "

"They'll love it, and probably try to catch us in action," Ran replied, surprising everyone by his sudden entrance into the conversation. He wasn't overly quiet anymore, but he had just gotten over a cold, and his throat still bothered him, so he hadn't been talking very often.

"Ran-koi! You're supposed to be letting your voice rest!" Ken chided before kissing his husband on the forehead. Ran wrinkled his face slightly, but said nothing.

"Uh-oh, what's this? Trouble in matrimonial bliss already?" Yohji joked. Ken laughed, and answered.

"No, he just still doesn't understand why I kiss him on the forehead or cheek."

"And why do you?"

"Because he's cute and I can?" Everyone laughed as Ken kissed Ran on the cheek, as if to prove his point.

"Oh yeah, and why would they love it so much?"

"Have you ever heard those girls talking?"

"Not that I remember paying any attention to."

"They all seem as obsessed about yaoi as they do about us."

"Oh my."

"Oh yeah."

"Well, at least we'll give them a show, right?"

"Sure."

The eight assassins all stayed in Kritiker, and they remained good friends with Crashers, who visited them frequently. When they got older, Omi and Nagi did end up getting married, and they continued living in the downstairs section of the Koneko. They spent quite a few years as agents for Kritiker, and had a few more adventures involving chemicals, but they always looked back fondly at that time.

~Owari~

A/N: I hope you liked it. The end just wouldn't come out right, so I had to do a narrator's ending. Please review and let me know what you thought!

[1] – This idea just popped into my head all of a sudden. I had to write it. I thought it would be fitting.

[2] – This is how I plan to set my wedding day… when I find a guy… and we get that close. The 27th has no particular importance that I remember, I just picked a random day.

[3] – by Enigma. It's the wedding song in the movie "Man of the House" with Chevy Chase and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Isn't it a nice song? I love it!

[4] – It's one of the theme songs for Inuyasha.

And here's the section where I thank all of the wonderful people who reviewed for the last chapter! I hope you liked your cookies!

aki: Did the make-up between Ran and Schu suit you? Yeah, my sappy side really showed up in this chapter… 

Dragon Shadow4: Does a hug work for when they make up? Thanks for the review!

Kyra2: Sorry about the brake/break mix-up. My spell-check and grammar check didn't pick that one up. I hope you like how they turned out. Oh, and Rannie's back to his usual age!

Brad: I'm afraid that's the end of the story. I hope you liked this chapter though.

Koji-chan: Thanks for giving me those sites! I did read some of them, and they were great! As with the sites you've found, the ones I've got are mainly with only Yuushi. V_V 

KyraEnsui: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Here's the end, I hope you liked it, too!

Bombay Kitty: Thanks for sticking with it! And thanks for reviewing!

Manx16: Yes, the situation was pretty bad, but I hope you like how it turned out. I just couldn't leave them angry at each other! I hope you like My Boys if you end up reading it!

Anime the Fallen Angel: Yes, it's kinda nasty when the cake is covered in toddler spit, isn't it? So glad my cousins are getting to the age where they can actually blow out the candles with no liquid involved.

Yami Aibou: Thank you for the review (and the kind words). Here's the next (and final) chapter!


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